What is a label?
I’m sure we all know what labels are. In fact the first labels most children would have picked up on are “Mamma” (or Amma), that label that got this stranger who keeps feeding them and changing their napppie uber excited, “Dada” (or Thaththa), that label that got this other dude who doesn’t have milk, but has a lot more in emotional food, uber exited, and Baba (or in my case “Malli-Baba”), that label these other strangers refer to one’s own self.
So, Labels, if we ask a little toddler to give a definition would probabaly be like,
A unique “sound” that can trigger a reaction or a response in a specific individual.
Every other sound either triggers no reaction in anyone, or trigger reactions and responses in everyone who can hear the sound.
But of course, the todder’s universe only has a few people in it. So in preparation for adulting or integration to society, each and every culture of human race, that has existed, that exists, and will exist, puts a label on it, called “Name”.
The truth is, these labels are sufficient to navigate life, but of course, we are creative beings, so they become vastly insufficient.
Why are Labels so important, yet less of Universal Value?
Let us take toddlers, or babies… Say upto about age 3-4. They communicate, sometimes in words, sometimes they point and make some sound. They very clearly communicate when they are extremely dissatisfied (most of us have seen it and know it very well), and equally clearly communicate when they are extremely satisfied (Once again, most of us have seen the uncontrollable giggles or laughter, which automatically trigger the adult to perform an encore). So, without lables, or words, the baby managed to interact with humans around them.
Of course, growing up, until the point of adulthood, we collect labels, and study how labels relate to one another, we call it family tree, friendships, teachers, elders, science, maths, history, geography, fiction, and the list would continue. This is absolutely required without a shadow of a doubt.
Then what is the problem? How is it of no universal value?
Nim asks himself – As usual!!
In adult life, the biggest hinderence to connect with the universal intelligence or consciousness is our fixed views around labels. Children from about age of 6 to Adults, sometimes until they die, hold on to some labels with fixed views. They do not anticipate the universal law of impermanance to happen to what ever the label they hold on to.
As one of my many Spiritual teachers, and as someone I hold so highly and dearly, Eckhat Tolle, says and what I have added onto with my own experience.
Labels have a role to play. But we don’t need to carry all the labels aroud as a constant definition, That way, at a given moment in time, when a label is required to respond to a situation in life, or as an action that needs to be taken, we can retrieve our historic view of the label, but also consciously connect to the situation, and understand the exact action, response, or label required in body, speech, or mind.
Let’s have some fun with a label
Label is: Possibilities
Nim’s Interpretations, without looking at a dictionary
Pos (Positive) + Abilities = Possibilities
Possible + ties (entaglements, ties, relationships, definitions) = Possibilities
Pos (Positive) + Bil (Billable / can create an income) + ties (connections) = Possibilities
Dictionary (Googled) Definition:
possibility
/ˌpɒsɪˈbɪlɪti/
Learn to pronounce
noun
plural noun: possibilities
a thing that may happen or be the case.
“relegation remains a distinct possibility”
Similar: chance, likelihood, probability, prospect, hope, risk, hazard, danger, fear
the state or fact of being possible; likelihood.
“there is no possibility of any government achieving this level of expenditure”
Similar: feasibility, practicability, chances, odds, attainability, achievability, potentiality, conceivability, probability, opportunity, scope, workableness
a thing that may be chosen or done out of several possible alternatives.
“one possibility is to allow all firms to participate”
– Nim –
A Moment with Nim! 