The Labels We Carry
Reclaiming Humanity Starts with Stories
If you went to school, you carried a label.
Gifted. Average. Struggling.
And whether you admit it or not, it shaped who you are today.
I’ve seen it up close as a parent.
One of my kids was labeled “gifted.” Another, “average.” The third, “struggling.”
And the truth is, those labels didn’t just describe them — they defined them.
My “gifted” child learned to chase perfection, terrified of falling short.
My “average” child grew up wondering if they were ever good enough.
My “struggling” child carried the weight of “maybe I’m not capable” far longer than they should have.
Each label became a mirror that shaped their identity. And none of those mirrors reflected the whole truth of who they are.
Weight of the Label
In our latest episode of Unscripted Intelligence, my co-host Arvin Ross shared something deeply personal.
“As a kid, I was labeled SLD — Specific Learning Disability. That label followed me. Teachers saw it. Peers whispered about it. And for a long time, I believed it. I thought maybe I wasn’t smart enough, maybe I wasn’t enough.”
That label almost broke him.
But here’s what’s powerful about this story: Arvin didn’t let the system’s judgment define his future. He went on to become a leader, a deep thinker, a creator. And in this conversation, he shares the full story of what it took to reclaim his humanity from a system that wanted to sort him and leave him there.
It’s a story you need to hear.
The Unavoidable Truth
Arvin’s story — and my own as a parent — made one thing undeniable:
The label isn’t the learner. The score isn’t the soul.
But until we stop sorting children, we will keep stealing their potential.
Every label we give is a mirror. And too often, it reflects a distorted version of a child’s worth.
So here’s my charge — and our collective call to action:
Stop mistaking scores for potential.
Stop letting labels define identity.
Start measuring what makes us human: adaptability, creativity, empathy, resilience, and moral courage.
Human potential is bigger than any label.
The future belongs to people who will not let children be sorted into boxes and to systems courageous enough to stop drawing those lines.
Share Your Story
If you’ve ever carried a label or watched someone you love be boxed in by one, you need to watch this episode of Unscripted Intelligence. Arvin’s story will stay with you.
👉 Watch/Listen to the full episode of Unscripted Intelligence here
Now, here’s my question for you:
What label did you carry in school, and how is it still shaping you today?
Tell your story. Share it with your community. Until we surface these truths and start having the conversations we’ve been avoiding, education will keep measuring the wrong things and mismeasuring our humanity.
Unavoidable Truths!