Humans have a tendency to swing between wanting both extremes — on one hand, we want to be different; on the other, we desperately want to belong.
Depending on which side of the pendulum we are swinging, singularity can be captivating, beautiful, and desirable. But it can also become unbearably lonely and isolating.
The other day, I was listening to a podcast, The Heart Of It, on the episode about identity — who are we and how do we define ourselves? And later that afternoon, I happened to get into a conversation about the topic of sexuality and how labels affected our identity.
We’re all trying to constantly grapple with conflicts and extremes — until we can safely find our own space where we can happily carve our own unique identity, and simultaneously fit snugly into the bigger puzzle of society.
Words and labels can help or hinder, depending on our interpretation and the narrative of the story we choose to tell.