When you look at people, you instantly have thoughts on what kind of person they are. It’s instinct. It’s just how the world goes round and round. I would believe that when people see me, they would think that I was they quiet, shy girl who gets excellent grades and never puts one toe out of line, that I do my homework assignments the night they’re assigned.
That’s not necessarily untrue.
I’ve always tried hard and it’s hard for me to see why others don’t. In my opinion, I feel that school and learning are the only way I can achieve accomplishments in my life, personally. Others can achieve greatness without doing well in school, but learning would be the way for me. I’ve always dreamed about going to the school of my choice and doing what I want to do. That’s technically what life is. Going out and doing things you want to do, while facing your fears.
That’s where impressions come in.
When you would see me, you would see a life of solidarity and quiet. But in my head, it’s not like that at all. I see skydiving and hiking and adventure. Of course, I love to stick my nose in a book every once in a while because how people stereotype me isn’t exactly wrong, but I also love to do things more than that. I want to travel to London and Orlando and Rio de Janeiro. I want to meet my idols, not just read about them in a book. Because that’s my life.
Although stereotypes can be correct, that stereotype of you can also lead you into getting a “label”.
A label is a word that others would use to describe you. If someone said you’re sporty, that would be because they assume you’re an athlete. If someone said you’re a nerd, they probably assume you get a high A on every test, just because you did, once or twice. Labels aren’t necessarily bad; they just describe you, based on how you’re viewed. If that’s not you at all, you can break out. It’s not impossible. A label is something that is justifying you and is someone trying to figure you out. Once someone gets to know you, they throw away the label, because you can’t be that many labels. There are so many levels to you that if you had a label, you’d be called “sporty-nerd-crazy-wants-to-fly-and-travel-funny-monkey,” and let’s face it, that is a terrible nickname.
In the end, you’re just yourself, but it’s your main interests that you would be labeled upon, and someone could think, “Hey, this girl likes sports. I like sports. We should be friends.” After you talk, maybe you see you have more in common than sports and it goes from there. Labels are just a way of relating to someone.
Don’t try to label someone negatively. Everyone has faults, but you should try not to see those. Also look and realize that even though they don’t look like a positively good person, there’s always at least one good thing about someone. Negative labels are shown as though you’re judging them, and that is not a good thing, although the first thing you see sometimes is bad. Maybe the first thing you see on a teenage girl is that she has acne and you think, “Ew. She should fix that.” Well, maybe she’s confident in herself that she doesn’t think she needs to fix it, and it’s just a sign that she’s growing up. Everyone’s dealt with acne. It almost seems impossible not to judge someone negatively, but you can always try to remember there is something good about everyone.
The impressions you leave on people last a lifetime. So be nice while you can, and don’t be rude, because words hurt and leave an impression of yourself on someone. Everyone makes mistakes and has bad days, but if you can get through life trying to be a good person, good can things happen. Labelling people can be OK, as long as it’s not a negative comment. It’s hard not to judge, but always try to see through someone and their worth. Everyone is unique and has good qualities. Sometimes you just need to find them.
Elizabeth Nygren is entering Grade 11 at Prince Charles Secondary School. The Teen Take is a column co-ordinated by the Teen Action Committee.