I went to a short-lived writing group on Zoom early in the pandemic. I think it only lasted the one session. Our facilitator asked us to write down four words that describe ourselves.
My immediate reaction was that I hate being labeled by others, and it's only slightly less distasteful to apply labels to myself. Then I wrote down "label-averse". On further reflection, I added "mathematician", "beach-loving", and "fairness-obsessed".
When we went around the Zoom room giving our labels, someone asked me, "Why do you consider yourself a mathematician?"
It hadn't occurred to her that I might actually be one.
I laughed and explained why (PhD in mathematics, math professor for more than 35 years, many research papers published in mathematics journals).
Why am I averse to labels?
Labels can sometimes be helpful. But labels are what we use to stereotype people, to put them in boxes so we can treat them a certain way. Nearly every time someone has told me, "I knew what you'd think about that," based on some stereotype they had about me, they were wrong.
I already regret the term "fairness-obsessed". That's what people call it when they want to sneer at concerns for fairness.
If you insist on labeling me, I guess I won't cringe at "beach-loving" and "mathematician". As far as I know, no one has questioned my "beach-loving" label, or sneered at me because of it, but there's always a first time.