How Do The Judgments They Make About Us Affect Us?

We all like to put labels (they simplify our reality and therefore reduce our cognitive load), we like to attribute meaning to actions, characteristics, emotions, yes, why not people? 

It is also not frowned upon in our society (as long as it is not an insult). Parents label their children according to their trajectory in school, their behavior at home. Teachers label their students, the good, the bad, the lazy, the clever … Children label each other, either according to the physical or psychic characteristics (although normally children, and especially young ones, will label by physical ones).

And in what way do the labels influence?

It is proven that the belief that one person has about another can influence their performance, this effect is called the PIGMALION EFFECT.

Depending on what type of labels it is, this can have a positive or negative influence on the development of a person. This can affect an area in the person’s life, or their personality.

For instance:

*** The boy who, since he was a child in school, was told that he was very smart and that he was going to have a good career; and as a rebound effect also in your home. —-> This child has grown up believing in his possibilities, with great self-esteem and self-confidence, so probably if the economic and family situation requires it, he will study.

*** The girl who liked to play the piano, but in the conservatory and her parents at home, they said that she made a horrible noise and that music was not her thing. —-> This girl most likely stopped playing, and acquired negative feelings in the musical field. And what’s more, you may feel the insecurity of starting something new for fear of “not doing it well” or “not being worth it”, in the eyes of others of course.
By this I mean that attributing a label to a moment in a person’s life can follow it throughout their life. It can influence your personality, your feelings, emotions, your vision of yourself and your way of dealing with actions in real life. When really in most cases it is something momentary in a stage of life, or as a result of something that can be solved.

For instance:

*** Typical child who is labeled as lazy, because for a week he did not do his homework (it could be that that week you had family problems at home, and he was depressed or did not feel capable). For things like this, labels start and follow you throughout your life.

So what do I propose?

I propose to eliminate labels, we are beings with an incredible capacity for change and adaptation. That’s why the only thing labels are going to do is limit us, although it seems that the Pygmalion Effect in a positive way, only has benefits, it can also acquire negative connotations. Because as I have already said, we are not all the same in the eyes of others. And maybe our parents label us from a very young age, and when we grow up we will clash with reality.

We become what we think we are, and many times we act just to get some labels (“he’s a genius”, “he’s a winner” …) or to avoid them (“he’s lazy”, “he’s a bad person” …) , rather than for our own interests.

Let no one limit you, let no one tell you who you are and what you are not capable of, pursue your dream, fight for it and never stop trying.