Are You a Labeler?
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I don’t know about you, but I’m a labeler. Yep, I label things all the time. Things like movies (oh, yuk – looks like another one of those “slasher” movies!), TV shows (uh-oh – not ANOTHER “crime scene” show!), and… well, people.
In fact, just the other day I committed label. No, not libel; label.
I had to attend one of those “basic concepts” safety courses, designed to provide a good broad overview before going on to more specific and detailed training. It’s all I need, since I’m an engineer and not actually doing any of the, you know, actual work. But the course must be renewed every year in order for me to enter most plant sites in the U.S.
So there I was, once again sitting in a classroom, preparing to be bored out of my head for the next four-and-a-half hours, valiantly battling against the tendency to shut my eyes and have my forehead thump down on the desk. (You know how it is, right?)
But I was pleasantly surprised when the instructor turned out to be quite good. (Believe me, I’ve attended quite a few of these things over the years, and this isn’t something you run across very often!)
Although there were a few short videos, the entire thing wasn’t one long video (something I had expected and feared the most). He got (and kept) our attention; stories and anecdotes integrated into his talk beautifully illustrated his points. Not only that, but his mannerisms were animated, and he did his best to interact with us throughout the course.
I must say, of all similar training courses I’ve ever had, this one was the best, and I told him so. But even so, I have to admit… I committed label.
Now, here’s a guy who, for the purposes of this discussion, falls into that broad category “blue-collar”: an individual who’s spent a lifetime working in various industrial facilities, more-or-less moved into training for the rest of his career.
Now, in my mind, I’m thinkin’: I really understand this guy. After all, I’ve been to plenty of plant sites and interacted with lots of field workers (we call them “crafts”). Here in Texas, this guy is what you might call a good ol’ boy; also sometimes known as good people.
Ah, but that’s when he dropped the bombshell. Actually, I’m not sure many of the other students noticed it, but it sure hit me! During one of his many stories he just happened to mention that he sings… opera (sound of needle scratching across record). Say what? Opera?
Yep, it turns out the man is an opera singer! And not just any old opera (my first guess was “grand ol’ opry”, but – sound of buzzer – wrong again!); nope, this guy sings classical opera: you know, stuff like Mozart, Beethoven, Shubert… yes that kind of opera! In fact, he flies up to Washington State several times a year to star in operas all over the state. (By the way, he also does masses, weddings, and I suppose even super bowl parties – assuming you’re a football fan and a bit of a “long-hair”.)
We talked a bit and I found out he’s been singing since he was 5 years old, and just loves it. He even had a wedding to do that very evening.
Wow! All I can say is it’s a good thing I didn’t judge him! (Uh, I mean, out loud!)
Now, it true that putting labels on things can sometimes help us process information so we don’t have to spend too much time dealing with situations we are already familiar with. And that’s a good thing. I mean, if we had to consciously think through the same things over and over again, we’d never make it through the day.
But labels can be a dangerous thing when they become attached to people, particularly people you don’t know (and even people you DO know). For instance, I’ll bet that when you first started reading Middle Zone Musings, you probably assumed I was some sort of whacko. (OK, bad example; I am a whacko.)
Where we get into trouble is because first of all, labels often have a way of getting “stuck”. Even if we get new information that completely discounts it, old labels just seem to plate themselves onto the cortex, rarely to be shaken free. (It’s called being close-minded, and is a source of real problems, to say the least.)
A second way we get into trouble is when we base our own thought-processes and actions on those people-labels. For example, take a moment to go back and count how many places in my story you find me using labels. Yep, quite a few, I’m afraid. Now, how many times do you use labels in your dealings with people? Uh-huh.
The good news is I managed to catch the beastly little faux-pas before it got out there for all to see. And in the process, I met an interesting person with a fascinating story to tell.
Go thee and do likewise.
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21 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee and exchange ideas, big or small, with applications in the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
We all do, I know.
But, I’ve learned to use a specific kind of label nowadays:
I just love the invention of those ‘post-it’ notes (e.g. labels you do put on, but which are easily removable, changeable when you start to look, are able to look behind the ‘label’)
Very good, Karin! Good idea, that. Labels are often necessary, but as long as we use mental “post-it notes” instead of mental super glue, we can change them when needed.
I like it!
Glad to be of service. Remind me to replace yours
(says whacko at the moment)
Uh, Karin? You’d better leave that one.
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Too late.
Just changed it to VNGIT
very nice guy I think
OK, good thing you kept the “I think” part… you should be covered now.
Yup, I’m a labeler — my accountant laughed at me last night because it was SO obvious I was an OCD case.
As for labeling people, I have to admit I ‘used’ to be one of those. Then thanks to a good friend — I learned quickly you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover.
I know how you feel about those introductory courses that aren’t in your field of study that you sometimes have to take. I had to take a Basic Marine Engineering course (AKA: Engineering for Business Majors) back in the day. Some silly ROTC requirement or something!
Not that I’d paint all engineers as folks who don’t know how to write or any such label! Although I did earn some good pocket money writing term papers for that sort of personage.
Keep breaking the mold (you whacko!)
Aw shucks, Chris; you’re just saying that! The really sad thing is, Dilbert has painted us all in one broad brush… too bad it’s mostly true!
Gayla, “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Hmmm… y’know, that sounds pretty reasonable - you should put that on a plaque or… something.
Hi Robert
A good reminder and a great story.
Karin, I like the post it note concept, and Robert’s “mental post it notes instead of mental super glue”.
All the best
Yvonne
Yvonne, thanks!
Hey, Karin - looks like we make a good team: you defined the concept, I defined the product; now all we need is the manufacturer. Ya think 3M will be interested in a new product line: “Mental Post It Notes”? (Ooh - lookit all the pretty colors!)
Hi Bob
As long as we don’t chose grey (grey-matter), I prefer soft green my self, to keep it gentle
Naah - never been a fan of pastels. Let’s go with “screaming fucia”!
Sample, sample, sample please!
A note on mental labeling: doing this is part of our heuristics (which are basically “rules of thumb”.) Everybody does it all the time, and it’s actually quite adaptive. Usually, people can judge others in 30 seconds just as well as after an hour or longer. The times when you can’t “judge the book by its cover” are actually the EXCEPTIONS, not the rules.
Also, all new information about a person is processed through the initial heuristic. This either modifies or confirms the heuristic about that person automatically. Since you often don’t even know you’ve modified your heuristic to fit the new information, it seems that your first impression was exactly right. This fuels the hindsight bias and reinforces the use of heuristics when meeting new people.
The thought that you can’t judge someone by your first impression results from the few cases that you were wrong (which stand out more in your mind) rather than the many, many cases where you are right.
Sam, I completely agree with you. Sortof. Almost.
The danger is when we become unwilling to modify our heuristic when it becomes necessary. That’s what gets us into trouble.
Otherwise, you’re spot on.
Karin, go here for a sample of the color fucia. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!
And you don’t call that pastel????
(Where are my sun-glasses, yeez, talk about bright - that’s bright enough to turn someone mental!)
Oh yes sure Bob, go ahead, now you can call 3M and see if they like OUR idea
No wishy-washy, pasty, bleached-out colors for me!!! No way!
Now where did I put 3M’s number…
[…] Sometimes putting people into categories can cause you to miss some very interesting things, or so I found out in Are You a Labeler? […]