Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter.

Labels

I am not a fan of labels. Labels often correspond with unclear thinking. If someone says “I am bad at math” or “I am a Democrat/Republican”, it is safe to assume that they have not thought themselves to that conclusion thoroughly. Someone else has probably given them that label. They have not dove into every topic and issue and formed individual opinions. If they had, they would probably realize that they do not align 100% with the labels and should not be using that label on themselves. Better to discuss topics with nuance than to argue over sweeping viewpoints that miss important details.

Politics is no place for labels, I may have a conservative view on economics but a liberal view on human rights. Education is no place for labels. Math is hard… sometimes. Triple integrals may be hard, but algebra is often easy. Be careful about the labels you assume.

The only labels that matter are the ones that you give yourself, and you can think yourself into certain realities. I am a deep thinker, I am a morning person, I am someone who eats healthy, I work hard, etc… These labels may not be true 100% of the time, but if you believe you are these things, the belief may be beneficial to your behavior.

Labels are appropriate only in things that do not actually matter, such as sports. Being a naive Leafs fan is acceptable. I do not need to have opinions about every player, coach, or manager. I can root for the Leafs through thick and thin and ignore facts.

Quote I Want To Share

Thanks for reading!

Lucas