Or when the need or desire to learn more frees us
We all tend to label people. It is human. It makes life easier, keeps everything in some kind of order for us. This is this, he/she is … And it gets more important if we are the kind of person that likes every single thing in its place.
But when we label people three things happen. Firstly, we spend a lot of energy classifying, deciding what the other is or seems to be while finding new adjectives that keep him/her tagged. Secondly, as we have decide to put them in a specific place we close the door to difference, we tend to isolate from the rest. Our comfort zone, our comfort group. And, lastly, we may feel that we know a lot, that there is no need to be taught anything new. If this happens, we can be walking the unlearning path, towards stagnation.
When you decide to learn, your curiosity grows. The more you know, the more you need to explore unknown lands. Then you start caring less about who and more about what. The time dedicated to label people reduces significantly. Listening increases. Of course, this does not mean you need to agree on everything the other says and thinks. It means you are more open minded. You are freer, there is less need to sort things, to have everything classified. All the effort is focused in expanding your knowledge.
Once you tag less, you hear and understand, then, you are able to adapt your speech to different listeners. New conversations arise, a whole new horizon is ahead of you. But also, you save a lot of energy, complete focus on developing yourself, following YOUR own way, caring less about what others do, think and say.
Not easy to stop categorizing all of the sudden. Being curious, helps. Maybe, that one you thought was YYYY can tell you so many things about what you are interested in. Remember, you can label but at the same time you are being labeled too.
Rafa, thanks for recommending me “Meditations by Marcus Aurelius”. Awesome lecture.