The Problem with -isms

People love the suffixes -ism and -ist.

We see them in the names of our religions and philosophies, in our political systems, and in virtually any meaningful conversation about people and the way they think and express themselves. As human beings, we (at least here in the "western world") love classifying and pigeonholing people, ideas, and things so we can streamline our thought processes. Essentially, we are lazy.

Now, there is certainly a use for such phrases and other "labels." In order to be understood and have important conversations about serious issues (like feminism, racism, and other such things) we must use these sorts of words. The problems begin, however, due to the very purpose of such terms. Calling someone a feminist, a racist, a pugilist, or a vegetarian is a way of separating them from the rest of society/population. Yes, we are individuals, we are unique. Few value individuality as much as I do and I am fiercely dedicated to being who I am as well as encouraging others to be who they are.

That being said, when we really get down to the simple facts of what we are as humans, when we strip away all the psychological red tape and sociological labels, what are we left with?

The simple fact that we are all living things. We all eat. We all drink water. We all breathe. We all need to be loved and cared for by others and to love and care for others. We are all made up of cells and chemicals and atoms. We are all the same, we are all interconnected with everything else in the world, and we are all one.

So, anytime we label things or people we are adding a layer to what is really there. No one actually is anything other than a living thing (and many people aren't even sure that is ultimately true 0.o ). These qualities that allow us to separate and classify people are created in the mind. I am only a feminist as much as I think I am and as much as you see that I am. You are no more male or female or anything in between or outside of those genders than you feel you are and society tells you that you are. It's all parts, people. We're made up of the same elements.

Be careful applying labels to others. In fact, be careful applying any labels to yourself. When we get so wrapped up in fitting into these labels that we fail to see what is actually in front of us except through those lenses we put over our eyes, there is a serious problem. I am an antifascist, but that doesn't mean I automatically assume a police officer just doing his job so he can feed his family is fascist. I am a feminist, that does not mean that I need to ask why a particular photo in a particular blog post about an unrelated topic regarding human rights and tolerance only contains men. I am a left libertarian but that doesn't mean I agree with other liberals or libertarians and it doesn't make me anti-conservative. I do not need to make everything about the isms I sometimes happen to fit in with. My labels are not me and they do not make me what or who I am. Neither do yours and neither do anyone else's.

So, next time you want to apply a label to someone or think something is vaguely offensive to you "as an x-ist" or "as a y-ist," please, stop and think for a moment. Is it really necessary to respond to someone else's stereotyping? Do you really need to fight fire with fire and begin a hate-spewing war of words every time some "misogynist" that posts something rude or disrespectful about a woman? There are times such responses are absolutely warranted and I support you all the way for standing up for what you believe. But, question yourself before you heed your gut reaction. Are you really fighting that fire with fire because you are standing up for WHO you are? Or are you merely fighting to perpetuate a label or stereotype someone else crafted for you? Do you even put that label on yourself for a good reason? Do you even fit with your labels at all when it really comes down to it? Or are you who you are? Please, don't disrespect yourself by identifying as a label or labels. You are not a hash tag.

As for me? Well, I prefer to fight fire with water. Better yet, I can choose to simply avoid the fires altogether and let the firestarters burn themselves on their own recklessness and blindness to what actually is.