✨ Labels We Whisper, Truths We Carry

Part 2 of “Labels That Harm vs. Labels That Heal”

There’s a difference between a label and a truth.

Labels are often assigned to us—

Truth is what we reclaim for ourselves.

In my last post, I explored how some labels hurt, and others help.

But since then, I’ve been sitting with a deeper question:

Who gets to decide which labels are valid?

And why are some accepted in broad daylight while others are whispered behind closed doors?

🔍 We Live in a World of Approved Labels

Society welcomes certain labels:

“Team Player” “Leader” “Efficient” “Helpful”

These are easy to praise—safe, surface-level words that don’t ask for nuance.

But when someone starts to ask bigger questions or challenges the status quo, the labels shift.

Suddenly, those same people become:

“Difficult” “Too emotional” “A gossip” “An attention seeker”

And if you’re truly misunderstood—especially if you process differently or see deeper—you might be quietly labeled:

“Unstable” “Off” “Sensitive” “A problem”

Not because of who you are…

But because of what they perceive.

🧠 Perception Isn’t Fact. It’s Conditioning.

People form opinions based on:

Family values Culture Environment Religion Power dynamics Who they feel safest around

So when someone like me shows up—quiet, observant, emotionally in tune, unafraid to speak calmly but truthfully—it creates discomfort. Especially in spaces built on appearance over authenticity.

Sometimes people can’t or won’t understand you,

so they label you instead.

💛 But Here’s the Power I Found:

Understanding changes everything.

Not their understanding of me…

My understanding of myself.

I’ve come to see that:

I may be neurodivergent I learn differently I feel deeply I need time to settle into new things I seek understanding before judgment

And when something doesn’t make sense to me, I don’t ignore it—I investigate. I research. I join support groups. I ask questions.

Because it matters to me to understand the world, not just react to it.

🗣️ So Let’s Talk About the Unspoken Labels

There are labels we speak publicly:

“Organized,” “smart,” “driven.”

And there are labels we whisper in corners:

“Crazy.”

“Overly sensitive.”

“Too much.”

Or, “not a good fit.”

We don’t say “neurodivergent.”

We don’t say “trauma-informed.”

We don’t say, “that person processes differently.”

Because that would require compassion, nuance, and listening.

It’s easier to reduce someone to a label than to understand their truth.

💭 But what if that changed?

What if we asked people how they learn best?

What if we invited them to share how their minds work—not as a liability, but as a strength?

What if a person could say:

“I need time to settle into new processes.” “I learn visually.” “I process emotion before logic.” “My culture shaped how I listen, speak, and respond.”

What if someone with a hushed disability, a learning difference, or health challenges didn’t have to hide it out of fear they wouldn’t get hired—or worse, be shunned in relationships?

What if sharing those truths wasn’t seen as a red flag—but as a superpower?

Because that’s what they are.

🌱 I Know Who I Am Now.

I was never trying to cause division.

I was trying to create peace.

I wasn’t seeking attention.

I was trying to help people see each other clearly.

And when I was misunderstood, I didn’t retaliate—I reflected.

What I’ve realized is this:

Some people see your calm and call it weakness.

Some see your emotional intelligence and call it manipulation.

Some see your integrity and feel threatened by what they can’t fake.

🌉 I Come From Bridge Builders

I was never meant to fit into narrow roles or accept narrow labels.

My father was a bridge builder. And so am I.

I’ve worked with patients, artists, coworkers, and communities—

Always trying to close the gap between misunderstanding and connection.

I wasn’t always understood.

But I was always genuine.

🧘🏽‍♀️ So when they label me now?

I let them.

Because I know what I carry.

They see a problem.

I see a purpose.

They see disruption.

I see truth coming to light.

And when they whisper about me, I just remind myself:

I am not their label.

I am my own understanding.