Raul Peres

Ms. Blake

English 52

29 April 2018

Inconsiderate Connotations

There is undertones in people’s language, whether it is to project one’s unknowing

subconscious or to echo an idea- regardless whether it is of any value; people will brand to

belittle, disregard, and exploit any one in relative vicinity either for self or for a principle.

Labeling is embedded in society to manipulate roles and status; having widened the gender

occupation, image in media and status in nation. Rather than using terms for implications,

labels should path towards informative and descriptive uses within essential categories instead

of unnecessary qualities and associations towards biases. Identifying would only emphasize

category, information, need, use, and price; removing prejudice, gender occupations and

influence. Systemizing has benefitted plenty of people, making it convenient to hire and

socialize in a community given the background information related to the occupation, vacancy,

or date.

It is effortless to believe that the typical perspective is considered to be generally in the

right, having little to no motivation to improve their point of view. By removing controversy and

instead emphasize on sensitivity, regardless if they don’t fit the criteria of a susceptible sufferer
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of civilizations shortcomings. Having to believe the standard is simple and objective will relieve

one of stress knowing the intolerance their fellow resident could potentially go through. Going

with the simple route of going with the group has caused cognitive difficulties, as stated here by

Anne Trafton. “It’s been hard to get a direct handle on the extent to which people within a

group are tapping into their own understanding of things versus the group’s understanding.”

One would believe this is beneficial and those casted out doing so out of their own will, but is

only prolonged until the norm shifts; making it difficult to adjust if dedicated by previous

principles.

One’s behavior and moral compass is at risk when mishandling current ideals, as Maria

Konnikova states, “The mere act of assigning labels to people, calling some people prisoners

and others guards, is sufficient to elicit pathological behavior.” Imitating behavior from sources

meant for entertainment purposes or from a narrow group, will enable irrational behavior

towards anyone considered as oppose to said group or occupants. Consider this, how would the

notion of a Prison Guard change if it promoted the image of protecting and counseling

prisoners as citizens with a second chance; would the perspective of not only the guards, but of

prisoners as well as prison itself? The tone in how ideas, groups and professions are portrayed

in life itself will travel and embed into the outlook of those within the perimeter of the

broadcast if they are inexperienced with what is being advertised.

Such behavior also causes limitations as well as stigmas in genders that prevent

opportunity, presented here by Emily Alpert Reyes, “Between 1971 and 2011, a growing share

of degrees in biology, business and other historically male majors went to women, an analysis
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by University of Maryland, College Park sociologist Philip N. Cohen shows. Yet fields like

education and the arts remained heavily female, as few men moved the opposite way.” In the

same article, it mentions the increase in anxiety those forced with intolerance due to implied

societal positions. By default, it causes problems in between the groups as one is looked down

upon whilst the other is placed on an unrealistic pedestal. The actions may not be as direct as

one would hope, because then it would have direct answer; instead the idea of inclusion should

be amongst character instead of gender. It should not be focused on “Male vs Female” but

“Masculine or Feminine”

In the end, what is realistic would not matter to a mass of traditional values, whether

they are relative or not. Connotations have a large affect in people’s convenience, behavior,

decision making as well as perspective and because of this, caused problems that are still

unforeseen and will continue to be invisible. The behavior is not of ill intent, but the roots are

from an irrelevant time and should be treated so. The sake of tradition is to preserve what has

and continues to be useful, not glamourizing the past and values they used to hold. It has yet to

be considered normal for the population to do, even with numerous amounts of progress, to

advance towards acceptance of personal behavior. Potential is an innate ability in people and

should be seen as only that; to wait and see how their passions bloom into a prospective future,

aspired by all. Removing overtones in labels will not only make research, empathy and work

more accessible to the broad populous.

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Citations

Konnikova, Maria: “The Real Lesson of the Stanford Prison Experiment” The NewYorker,

Science, 12 June 2015

Reyes, Emily Alpert: “’Men Are Stuck’ in Gender Roles, Data Suggest” The Los Angeles Times,

Local, 26 December 2013

Trafton, Anne. “Why Good People do Bad Things” Newsroom, Research News, 12 June 2014