Taking A Stand Without Labels
You're more effective without the labels.
Thinking clearly is harder when we identify with labels.
But isn’t self-labeling about taking a stand for what we believe in?
The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius didn’t think so. “You always own the option of having no opinion,” he wrote. “There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”
Marcus won three defensive wars, reformed the justice code, and lead his empire through a crippling plague. He was not passive, and yet how many labels did he have besides his love of philosophy and virtue? It’s hard to pin him down on much.
You can find factory farms abhorrent and swear off meat without labeling yourself a vegan. You can find your government problematic without swearing allegiance to Black Lives Matter or MAGA. You can worship freely without buying into dogma.
You’re actually a more effective actor when unimpeded by a chain of labels weighing you down. Think freely and find your power.