The way in which people have a tendency to categorize, identify, and label others based on their own perspectives is often made out to be a natural thing. Though in doing so, it ignores the issue in how the ease with which we cast labels on others due to not taking the time to see these people from a different perspective can lead to the potential erasure of their identities. Much like this scene from the manga, Blue Period, which follows the journey of a Japanese high schooler, Yatora, as he finds new life through art after being enthralled by a painting and now must learn how unforgiving the skill can be. In the scene, Yatora is talking with the artist of said painting and eventually tells her how talented she is to have painted something so beautiful. Though she quickly tells him she isn’t talented, she just thinks about art more than others. Her words help Yatora realize that he faces something similar when others call him a genius for getting good grades in his classes.
In this instance, the effects of this ignorance from these external perceptions are shown. The use of labels like ‘genius’ or ‘talented’ tends to carry this sort of dismissal or even denial of that person’s work. The bias of these external perceptions can make the person feel as though the part of them that puts in the work to get what they want is being erased. Which in turn erases a part of their identity. Though it’s not being said that one’s identity cannot be influenced by or agree with the perceptions of others, only that it should never feel like those external perceptions are taking over your own. Or else at that point can it really be called your identity?
Yamaguchi, Tsubasa. Blue Period. Monthly Afternoon, June 2017