LABELS

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LABELS

• An obstacle to critical thinking

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• Labels
• A means of picking out familiar features in an
  unfamiliar environment. We use labels on a daily
  basis to help us react specifically to
  situations, identify familiarities within our
  environment, or justify our personal views.
• Although labels are necessary, they can also
  serve as a major block to critical thinking,
  creating a distorted view of an individual or
  group.

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• Labels in the workplace
• The sales manager of Preferred Lease
• (an equipment leasing company) declared
• the sales department will not hire blacks
  or
• fat people, they are useless and lazy.
• Needless to say, this is an extremely
  inaccurate and false label the sales managers
  statement created several liabilities for
  himself and Preferred Lease as a company.

4

• Labels in society
• A young man of Afghani descent is mocked and
  cursed as he walks through a small town, shortly
  after the September 11th attacks in 2001
• Go back home where you belong - with
  Al-Qaeda!
• The people shouted
• The young man is an American citizen, he is a
  member of the Humane Society and works for a
  software development company. Clearly the people
  of this town are ignorant and conveniently chose
  labels to help form their opinions about this
  outsider.

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Analysis Evaluation

• The next slide illustrates how the media used
  labels on the cover of New York Daily News to
  portray Presidential candidate Barack Obama as
  being Furious. The Daily uses this picture out
  of context in order to publicly label Obama.

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Obama angry man!

• Media Labels

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Whats wrong with that picture?

• Aside from an attempt to label the Presidential
  candidate as an angry person , like all labels,
  the headline doesn't give the public any other
  facts about Obama creating a false depiction and
  possibly persuading the public to form negative
  judgments or opinions about who Obama really is.

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Rearrange your thinking

• Now that we have examined some of the negative
  effects labels can have on an individual or
  group, we must change our thought process.
• Doing our part to challenge each label we
  encounter is essential to avoiding this common
  mistake, whether its formed by ourselves or
  persuaded by another.

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In Challenging a label you are not rejecting it,
but simply refusing to accept it blindly

• Ask yourself
• What do these labels mean?
• Are they clichés being used for convenience?
• Must I accept these labels?

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Results

• By asking yourself the previous questions and
  challenging each label you develop or encounter,
  you will be able to more accurately form opinions
  of your own and develop a more effective thought
  process.
• Lets take action today!