"What Labels Me, Negates Me"

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 8 August 2023 While reading the Danish theologian and early existentialist philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, I chanced upon a nugget of a thought, "Once you label me, you negate me " (another slightly different version is, "What labels me, negates me"). French existentialist Albert Camus called this pithy saying, "The existential essence of all times." It's what we see everywhere at the moment. We're on a labelling spree. We're labelling others and ourselves. This foolish labelling negates and decimates all. Hindus (already a label) are now 'degenerated' and 'devolved' into Sanatanis. They'll further degenerate after a few years, decades or centuries. Muslims are labelled into innumerable sects. They've already 73 sects. A label denies an individual's persona and his/her existential freedom. In other words, it negates and crushes a person's whole existence. Sociologists believe that humans suffer from Nomenclature Syndrome. They need to be categorised into groups and sub-groups. Since humans are still evolving, their idea of individual uniqueness is still in its infancy. We value ourselves and also others with respect to the groups we and others are part of. That's why lakhs of labels embellish our existence on earth. Jean-Paul Sartre defined this phenomenon of labelling in his rather abstruse book, 'Being and Nothingness,' "An individual's being is a nonentity. It's his 'nothingness' that's important to him and to the world." Yes, it's the 'nothingness' or 'negation' of an individual that we all want and cherish. Because that makes us all equal in mediocrity and lowliness. Dil Bahal Toh Jayega Iss Khayal Se / Haal Mil Gaya Tumhara Apne Haal Se ! So, whoever amongst us tries to assert his individuality, is snubbed or eliminated. The best way to negate people's individuality is to drag them into a bigger fold and dilute their persona. Society is always afraid of a handful of individuals and their definite and sharper sense of individuality. They're perceived as threats to bigger groups. So, they're soon labelled and pigeonholed into a ghetto. Religion, nation, sects or castes are such 'comforting' labels for the riff raff and hoi polloi. The Great Unwashed will always try to label those who are potential threats to a humongous crowd of mediocre humans. An individual's existence is negated by dragging him into the crowd and labelling him instantaneously. People are also blissfully happy to be labelled as Hindus, Shia, Sunni, Qadiani, Pentecostal, Scottish, Iranian, German, Marathi, Punjabi, Saraswat Brahmin, Chitpawan Brahmin, Mehtar, Kshatriya and what not. None dares to call himself just a human without a luggage and baggage of multiple identities. This is the price of universal mediocrity an 'evolved' human has to pay to survive. Isn't it pitiable and asphyxiating? ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/labels-negates/d/130408 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism