Amir H. Payberah - 2025-12-08

Mind the trap. It is always there, the kind of trap that pulls us in without us even noticing. I am talking about labels: the labels we use to express our position within social and political relations. Sometimes we become so occupied with carrying these labels that we forget what we were struggling for in the first place. That is when labels turn into traps.

There are moments when using labels is crucial, whether to make our commitments visible, to stand in solidarity, or to reflect the values we hold. But even in those moments, the label is not the destination; it is only a sign pointing toward something deeper. Whether we call ourselves activists, feminists, vegans, socialists, anarchists, critical theorists, or anything else, these names show where we stand but do not capture the essence of the work itself.

The real goals are the values these labels point toward. That is where we should be heading. Call us whatever you like; what matters is moving toward the values, not the names we carry. Labels can be useful tools, but when we stick to them as identities in themselves, they begin to hold us back. We can only move toward the values that matter by remembering that the label is a pathway, not the point.