We live in a world obsessed with labels. Rock climber. Runner. Weightlifter. Freediver. Surfer. Creative. Artist. Academic. Singer. Dancer. Introvert. Extrovert. Ambivert. Social. Silent. ADHD. High-functioning Autistic. High‑achiever. Adventurer. Sensitive. Empathetic.

Some labels feel empowering. Some feel comforting. Some feel clarifying. Some may not resonate at all. But all labels, even the helpful ones, come with edges.

And when we unquestioningly accept the labels society hands us, we risk shrinking ourselves to fit inside them.

This article is not about rejecting every label. It’s about understanding their limits, using them intentionally, and remembering that your identity is far more expansive than any category could ever capture.

Labels Can Connect Us, But They Can Also Confine Us

Labels often begin as shortcuts for belonging.

If you love bouldering or climbing, joining a climbing club can introduce you to people who share your passion. If you identify as a surfer, you instantly understand the rhythm of early mornings, salt‑stiff hair, and the meditative pull of the ocean. These labels help us find our people.

Similarly, receiving a mental health diagnosis can be a turning point. It can open doors to communities, books, and resources that help you understand yourself more deeply. It can give language to experiences you’ve struggled to articulate.

But here’s the catch:

Labels are tools, not definitions. They are starting points, and not destinies.

The moment we treat a label as the full story, we limit our potential to grow beyond it.

The Danger of Self‑Limiting Beliefs

When we internalize labels too tightly, they become invisible boundaries:

• “I’m anxious, so I can’t do that.”
• “I’m not the athletic type.”
• “I’m a creative, not a numbers person.”
• “I’m a surfer. That’s just who I am.”

These beliefs feel true because they’re familiar. But familiarity is not truth.

Self‑limiting beliefs often masquerade as identity. And identity, when rigid, becomes a cage.

The reality is that you are far more multidimensional than any label could ever capture. You are a constellation of experiences, curiosities, contradictions, and evolving strengths.

You Define Yourself

Not Society. Even if you resonate with a label, you are not obligated to live inside it forever. You can be a surfer who loves neuroscience. A climber who writes poetry. A researcher who performs music. A quiet person who becomes bold when it matters.

You are allowed to outgrow old versions of yourself. You are allowed to reinvent. You are allowed to be more.

Your identity is not a static noun, it is a living verb.

Naval Ravikant: The Power of Being a Perpetual Learner

Naval Ravikant famously said that being a perpetual learner is your greatest superpower. When you follow your curiosity, not your labels, you open doors you never knew existed.

Curiosity trains you. It stretches you. It exposes you to new environments, new people, new skills, and new ways of thinking.

These unique experiences become your specific knowledge – the kind of knowledge that cannot be replicated, automated, or commodified. It’s the combination of your passions, your lived experiences, your cultural background, your intellectual interests, and your personal journey.

This is what makes you valuable. This is what makes you irreplaceable.

If you want to explore this further, The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is a powerful place to start. And if you’re looking for more book recommendations, you can explore my Goodreads account where I share the titles that have shaped my thinking.

The Invitation: Dive Into Your Authentic Self

Labels can be helpful and they are not the whole story. You are the author of your identity. You get to decide who you are becoming.

So here is your invitation:

• Question the labels you’ve inherited.
• Keep the ones that serve you.
• Release the ones that limit you.
• And stay open to the possibility that you are far more expansive than you’ve ever been told.

Your authenticity is not found in a label. It is found in your curiosity, your courage, and your willingness to evolve.

Reference List

Ravikant, N., & Jorgenson, E. (2020). The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A guide to wealth and happiness. Magrathea Publishing.