Sense of belonging

173/300. Neat labels

A few days ago, I noticed something that had never really crossed my mind before. We like to give compound names.

My brother hosts a Value Sprint. Whenever he sends an email to the participants, he begins with:

"Dear Sprinter,"

It sounds so normal that you’d barely think about it.

When I managed the task and execution group for his community, I called the participants ‘Executioners.’

TedxUnilag called it’s community members ‘Trybers’. Selling school called their members ‘Salesman’.

I’ve seen countless other communities do the same. And so the list goes on and on.

Without much thought, we almost instinctively give people a name.

And so I wondered Why? Why don’t we simply call them "participants"? Or "members"? Or "attendees"? Or their names?

Why do we feel the need to give them a new identity?

Thinking about it led my thought somewhere else. I was reworking on my career choice and for once I didn’t give it a label. At first, I comfortably let it sit with the old identity because this new choice was carved out from the old one but the more I worked the more I knew this was different and so I hesitated to give it a name. a title. a label.

However, a cognitive part of my brain wanted to give titles. It wanted to give this thing an identity. It had even gone far as to think and source for names that seemed suitable for this thing. But deep inside me I just knew that even if I would name this thing, it just wasn’t the right time yet because I am constantly evolving on this lane.

But it made my question even more resounding. Why? Why do we have to give labels?

Someone doesn’t just write. They’re a writer. Someone doesn’t just run. They’re a runner. Someone doesn’t just create. They’re a creator.

I think we love names but it is also beyond names and branding and titles. It is about belonging.

A shared identity like runner or writer or sprinter or tryber gives you a feeling of belonging. You’re not just doing this thing. You’re actually a part of this thing. A part of that identity.

Doing it is an activity but becoming it is an identity. “I write” describes what you’re doing. “I’m a writer” describes who you’re are.

And strangely or not. Identity has a way of affecting how we behave. When you know you belong to this thing, it changes the way you show up.

The moment we attach a name to ourselves, the activity begins to feel more permanent. More personal.

Almost like we have something to live up to. And it’s not just a label. It’s a shared identity.

I thought about if it had something to do with loving organized things and I realized that our cognitive brain loves categories. Our brain does like when things are neatly placed

A cognitive load that runs in your brain.

And names they say affect us and I don’t think this identity and shared belonging are any different. Being called an executioner gets blood pumping in your veins and gets you ready to execute. A salesman is always ready to close one sale.

More reason I like it is because above all, it gives you the confidence to just exist.

Neatly picked “labels” but with a power move behind.