--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you put a label on yourself, people…" description: "\"If you put a label on yourself, people will pigeonhole you.\" — John Barrowman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg" --- # If you put a label on yourself, people will pigeonhole you. ![“If you put a label on yourself, people will pigeonhole you.” quote by John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg) > “If you put a label on yourself, people will pigeonhole you.” [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labeling limits perception and confines identity, leading others to reduce you to a stereotype. **In simple terms:** Labels restrict how others see you. Key Takeaway Avoid self‑imposed labels. Themes identity stereotyping perception Mood reflective cautious Type advice observational When to use this quote - career networking - personal branding - social media interactions Key Concepts social psychology self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How do you resist being pigeonholed? - When have you labeled yourself? A Different Perspective Labels can be useful shorthand but may oversimplify complex people. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pigeonhole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pigeonhole/) ## Related quotes > [People pigeonhole me - I'm known for raising more money than any man alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcauliffe/people-pigeonhole-me-i-m-known-for-raising-more-money-than-any-man/) [Terry McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mcauliffe/) > [I don't want people to pigeonhole me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-webber/i-don-t-want-people-to-pigeonhole-me/) [Peter Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-webber/) > [I don't like to label myself. I know I'm very hard to pigeonhole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/i-don-t-like-to-label-myself-i-know-i-m-very-hard-to-pigeonhole/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [Obviously there is no such thing as race, and in many ways, sex is a continuum, not a binary. So it doesn't make sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/obviously-there-is-no-such-thing-as-race-and-in-many-ways-sex-is-a/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Labels can be really helpful when we have the autonomy to label ourselves. But when other people label us without our permission, that's when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asia-kate-dillon/labels-can-be-really-helpful-when-we-have-the-autonomy-to-label/) [Asia Kate Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asia-kate-dillon/) > [It's bullshit. It's so easy to label people, to look at a list of symptoms and say, "This is who you are. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-scott/it-s-bullshit-it-s-so-easy-to-label-people-to-look-at-a-list-of/) [Elizabeth Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-scott/) > [In Washington, there's always an effort to label people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-norton/in-washington-there-s-always-an-effort-to-label-people/) [Gale Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-norton/) > [We could have done a better job explaining what was in the Affordable Care Act, but when you talk to people and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-sewell/we-could-have-done-a-better-job-explaining-what-was-in-the-affordable/) [Terri Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-sewell/) > [I decided to start my own label because so many people with talent come to me wanting to know how they can get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-decided-to-start-my-own-label-because-so-many-people-with-talent/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [Human laziness makes people pigeonhole one another at first site so that they find nothing in common with one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/human-laziness-makes-people-pigeonhole-one-another-at-first-site-so/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [People want to label people and that's all they want to do. They don't want to get to know them, they don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gatlin/people-want-to-label-people-and-that-s-all-they-want-to-do-they-don-t/) [Justin Gatlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gatlin/) > [“We consistently label people, actions, words, situations, and events as “bad”, “not good enough”, or “wrong”. We say, “She is annoying”, “She is boring”,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-elkrief/we-consistently-label-people-actions-words-situations-and-events-as/) [Noah Elkrief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-elkrief/) > [Be tolerant of differences, rich & poor, big & small. Don't label people from another social circle. We don't want that to happen to us too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mufti-ismail-menk/be-tolerant-of-differences-rich-poor-big-small-don-t-label-people/) [Mufti Ismail Menk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mufti-ismail-menk/) > [Because we are Nashville-based and predominately a country label, people obviously think of us in that way, and that's fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-borchetta/because-we-are-nashville-based-and-predominately-a-country-label/) [Scott Borchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-borchetta/) > [I met a lot of label people at the start of doing this music thing, and I just realised soon that it wasn't much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-orange-county/i-met-a-lot-of-label-people-at-the-start-of-doing-this-music-thing/) [Rex Orange County](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-orange-county/) ## More by John Barrowman > [I would wish that people would accept people for who they are, not be judgemental, allow people to live their lives and enjoy themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/i-would-wish-that-people-would-accept-people-for-who-they-are-not-be/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [I did archery when I was in high school. In our gym class we had two weeks of archery, and I remember taking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/i-did-archery-when-i-was-in-high-school-in-our-gym-class-we-had-two/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [As an actor, I only play what is in the moment, rather than in the future, but sometimes the past is more important than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/as-an-actor-i-only-play-what-is-in-the-moment-rather-than-in-the/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [“Jack refused to wear the traditional Cuari tunic. ‘If the world is going to end tonight, I’m going out with my trousers on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/jack-refused-to-wear-the-traditional-cuari-tunic-if-the-world-is/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [Whenever I'm in Glasgow I go and stand outside the front of the house I grew up in, which is in Mount Vernon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/whenever-i-m-in-glasgow-i-go-and-stand-outside-the-front-of-the-house/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [What I can say that's different in American television... in Britain, they wouldn't cancel something after a couple of episodes. In the States they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/what-i-can-say-that-s-different-in-american-television-in-britain/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [Never apologize for being nerdy, because un-nerdy people never apologize for being assholes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/never-apologize-for-being-nerdy-because-un-nerdy-people-never/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [Wherever I am, I will embrace the life and the lifestyle. I've lived in Hollywood before, and we've moved into the old neighbourhood in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/wherever-i-am-i-will-embrace-the-life-and-the-lifestyle-i-ve-lived-in/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [For some reason I seem to be a massive hit with middle-aged women. I seriously don't know what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/for-some-reason-i-seem-to-be-a-massive-hit-with-middle-aged-women-i/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [When I was younger I wanted to be an airline pilot, but that lasted for about 30 seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/when-i-was-younger-i-wanted-to-be-an-airline-pilot-but-that-lasted/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [ I trust the \[series\] writers when I'm filming, because it's interesting for me to go in every week and see what's going to happen,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/i-trust-the-series-writers-when-i-m-filming-because-it-s-interesting/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [Desperate Housewives' was a good experience, though, as I got to play the bad guy for once. My only complaint was they had me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/desperate-housewives-was-a-good-experience-though-as-i-got-to-play/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [“Yet if I was asked to do this again - in fact, if I was ever asked to repeat any of my experiences -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/yet-if-i-was-asked-to-do-this-again-in-fact-if-i-was-ever-asked-to/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [I was the one who taught my sister and my niece how to walk in high heels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/i-was-the-one-who-taught-my-sister-and-my-niece-how-to-walk-in-high/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [“Cut! Go again." And again, and again, and again. Finally, after the fourth of fifth take I yelled down the hill to the director:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/cut-go-again-and-again-and-again-and-again-finally-after-the-fourth/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) [Explore all 60 John Barrowman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) ## More Ifs quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. Their stories are, if they are truthful, untidy affairs, resistant to windings-up and sortings-out. They beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/histories-never-conclude-they-just-pause-their-prose-their-stories/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Many individuals spend a considerable portion of their lifetimes in terror of one imagined catastrophe or another. The classic is that your immortal soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/many-individuals-spend-a-considerable-portion-of-their-lifetimes-in/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) Browse all 94,303 Ifs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you put a label on yourself, people will pigeonhole you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Barrowman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-will-pigeonhole-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ifs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-will-pigeonhole-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c7/john-barrowman-11441_ifs_if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-wi_1604896.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you put a label on yourself, people will pigeonhole you.” — John Barrowman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Barrowman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you put a label on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-will-pigeonhole-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/if-you-put-a-label-on-yourself-people-will-pigeonhole-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```