--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The word is a label and I don't like it…" description: "\"The word is a label and I don't like it at all.\" — Paula Broadwell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg" --- # The word is a label and I don't like it at all. ![“The word is a label and I don't like it at all.” quote by Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg) > “The word is a label and I don't like it at all.” [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A term is seen as a restrictive label that the speaker rejects. **In simple terms:** Labels can feel limiting. Key Takeaway Avoid labeling yourself or others. Themes identity language labeling self‑concept Mood critical analytical concerned Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - social media - professional settings - personal identity - communication Key Concepts semantic framing personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How does this label affect perception? - Can we describe without labeling? A Different Perspective Labels can both clarify and constrain understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ## Related quotes > [My dear boy, please don’t put a label on me—don’t make me a category before you get to know me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/my-dear-boy-please-don-t-put-a-label-on-me-don-t-make-me-a-category/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I don't have a label, I don't have a manager, I'm doing everything myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-enigk/i-don-t-have-a-label-i-don-t-have-a-manager-i-m-doing-everything/) [Jeremy Enigk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-enigk/) > [You can now be a master of your own destiny. I'm not sure why you would sign up with a record label.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-parker/you-can-now-be-a-master-of-your-own-destiny-i-m-not-sure-why-you/) [Sean Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-parker/) > [I don't know if it's how I speak or what it is about me that presents that sort of label, but I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-garcia/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-how-i-speak-or-what-it-is-about-me-that-presents/) [Jeff Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-garcia/) > [A label is a mask life wears. We put labels on life all the time. 'Right,' 'wrong,' 'success,' 'failure,' . . . Labeling sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/a-label-is-a-mask-life-wears-we-put-labels-on-life-all-the-time-right/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [... humans have such a need to break everything down into right and wrong. It never occurs to you that you've made those labels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/humans-have-such-a-need-to-break-everything-down-into-right-and-wrong/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [If I really like the smell of something - a piece of tar or my goddaughter's plastic doll - I put a tiny piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/if-i-really-like-the-smell-of-something-a-piece-of-tar-or-my/) [Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/) > [I think any label is bad. I'm more than a label.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/i-think-any-label-is-bad-i-m-more-than-a-label/) [Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/) > [There's a very distinct difference between a really wonderful DIY label and a soft drink company, or a car company, or a clothing brand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-palomo/there-s-a-very-distinct-difference-between-a-really-wonderful-diy/) [Alan Palomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-palomo/) > [After coming from a major label, I realized the entire business has been decimated, and you can't look to labels to try to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/after-coming-from-a-major-label-i-realized-the-entire-business-has/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [You can't control it once you turn it into the label, so there's the expectation that it'll leak a week before the album comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/you-can-t-control-it-once-you-turn-it-into-the-label-so-there-s-the/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [The pop world is cool, but I never really thought of myself as part of it or wanting to be a part of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-jones/the-pop-world-is-cool-but-i-never-really-thought-of-myself-as-part-of/) [Norah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-jones/) > [Women come in all shapes and sizes, and we are what we want to be, not the label that is placed on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-willett/women-come-in-all-shapes-and-sizes-and-we-are-what-we-want-to-be-not/) [Erin Willett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-willett/) > [When people see you have a song on MTV, they think you are doing well - but you know, the way the traditional label…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-sobule/when-people-see-you-have-a-song-on-mtv-they-think-you-are-doing-well/) [Jill Sobule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-sobule/) > [A label is a soul-tattoo that is ingrained deep in our hearts, so much so that it determines how we see ourselves, And how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derwin-l-gray/a-label-is-a-soul-tattoo-that-is-ingrained-deep-in-our-hearts-so-much/) [Derwin L. Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derwin-l-gray/) ## More by Paula Broadwell > [I think the public doesn't understand that one of the reasons I haven't stood up for myself is because in order to do that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-think-the-public-doesn-t-understand-that-one-of-the-reasons-i-haven/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [ \[Fighting for equality for women\] that's what my mission has been for the last years. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/fighting-for-equality-for-women-that-s-what-my-mission-has-been-for/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [ I had been working on a second book with \[David\] Petraeus called Relentless. Obviously that book and the income that it would have generated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-had-been-working-on-a-second-book-with-david-petraeus-called/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [I want to serve. I love my country. I love service above self and I don't want my talents to go to waste. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-want-to-serve-i-love-my-country-i-love-service-above-self-and-i-don/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [A few months into my research, General Petraeus, who was then leading Central Command, invited me to go for a run with him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/a-few-months-into-my-research-general-petraeus-who-was-then-leading/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [ I was incredulous as the bias of the media in terms of the candidates \[for presidency\]. I was incredulous at the fake news. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-was-incredulous-as-the-bias-of-the-media-in-terms-of-the-candidates/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [You can reclaim your own narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/you-can-reclaim-your-own-narrative/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [I also feel like I've done plenty of wrong things. I'm not innocent here, and I'm certainly not going to be righteous about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-also-feel-like-i-ve-done-plenty-of-wrong-things-i-m-not-innocent/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [When I get this kind of support, I feel validated in my decision to stand up for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/when-i-get-this-kind-of-support-i-feel-validated-in-my-decision-to/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [I think it is important for working moms to recognize that family is the most important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-think-it-is-important-for-working-moms-to-recognize-that-family-is/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [If I'm strong, I'm not going to apologize for being strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/if-i-m-strong-i-m-not-going-to-apologize-for-being-strong/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [My local paper, The New York Times, Yahoo News, CBS, and The Washington Post, all agreed to stop using the word 'mistress.' The big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/my-local-paper-the-new-york-times-yahoo-news-cbs-and-the-washington/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [Having a bunch of medals and badges doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve achieved anything, you’ve got to do something beyond yourself to make a difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/having-a-bunch-of-medals-and-badges-doesn-t-necessarily-mean-you-ve/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [We have to raise our young boys to respect women and our young girls to demand respect and to get their values from something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/we-have-to-raise-our-young-boys-to-respect-women-and-our-young-girls/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [ It's reducing my entire professional career and background to this one word \[mistress\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/it-s-reducing-my-entire-professional-career-and-background-to-this/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) [Explore all 56 Paula Broadwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) ## More Label quotes > [I'm signed to a U.S. label, and I didn't enjoy the 3 A.M. phone calls. I'm not a great sleeper, so I didn't enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/i-m-signed-to-a-u-s-label-and-i-didn-t-enjoy-the-3-a-m-phone-calls-i/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [“How would your life be different if...You could control the outcome of your day, your week, your year? Let today be the day...You embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/how-would-your-life-be-different-if-you-could-control-the-outcome-of/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [I think some people think I'm, like, anti-label, and I'm not. I just wanted to sign a deal when the time was right. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/i-think-some-people-think-i-m-like-anti-label-and-i-m-not-i-just/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [The will to label will always prevail over what's being labeled, usually at the expense of either truth or understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-rice/the-will-to-label-will-always-prevail-over-what-s-being-labeled/) [Boyd Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-rice/) > [A label is a soul-tattoo that is ingrained deep in our hearts, so much so that it determines how we see ourselves, And how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derwin-l-gray/a-label-is-a-soul-tattoo-that-is-ingrained-deep-in-our-hearts-so-much/) [Derwin L. Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derwin-l-gray/) > [When people see you have a song on MTV, they think you are doing well - but you know, the way the traditional label…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-sobule/when-people-see-you-have-a-song-on-mtv-they-think-you-are-doing-well/) [Jill Sobule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-sobule/) > [I was always real deep into music. From everything, all around the board - from East Coast, West Coast, down South, everywhere. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-dolph/i-was-always-real-deep-into-music-from-everything-all-around-the/) [Young Dolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-dolph/) > [Women come in all shapes and sizes, and we are what we want to be, not the label that is placed on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-willett/women-come-in-all-shapes-and-sizes-and-we-are-what-we-want-to-be-not/) [Erin Willett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-willett/) > [The pop world is cool, but I never really thought of myself as part of it or wanting to be a part of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-jones/the-pop-world-is-cool-but-i-never-really-thought-of-myself-as-part-of/) [Norah Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-jones/) > [You can't control it once you turn it into the label, so there's the expectation that it'll leak a week before the album comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/you-can-t-control-it-once-you-turn-it-into-the-label-so-there-s-the/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [After coming from a major label, I realized the entire business has been decimated, and you can't look to labels to try to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/after-coming-from-a-major-label-i-realized-the-entire-business-has/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [I've been part of running a label since I was a kid, so I understand how it works. But the more and more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-ve-been-part-of-running-a-label-since-i-was-a-kid-so-i-understand/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [There's a very distinct difference between a really wonderful DIY label and a soft drink company, or a car company, or a clothing brand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-palomo/there-s-a-very-distinct-difference-between-a-really-wonderful-diy/) [Alan Palomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-palomo/) > [I think any label is bad. I'm more than a label.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-haley/i-think-any-label-is-bad-i-m-more-than-a-label/) [Nikki Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-haley/) > [The problem with working under an outside label is that your music never seems to reach the right people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-kher/the-problem-with-working-under-an-outside-label-is-that-your-music/) [Kailash Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-kher/) Browse all 593 Label quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The word is a label and I don't like it at all.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paula Broadwell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it-at-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Label" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it-at-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b4/paula-broadwell-12073_label_the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it_3105378.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The word is a label and I don't like it at all.” — Paula Broadwell", "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": "Paula Broadwell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The word is a label and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it-at-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/the-word-is-a-label-and-i-don-t-like-it-at-all/#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 } } ] } ```