“Labels We Live By,” by Anudeepa R, is a captivating piece that - very accurately - describes one of the many problems in our damaged society, where superficial qualities define us. Anudeepa’s work relates to all of us at one point or another in our lives. She narrates her personal experiences when she was judged or discriminated against based on her ethnicity or the color of her skin. She portrays our flawed system in such a relatable and personal piece, even with a theme that is not entirely new, yet still manages to evoke heartfelt and sympathetic emotions.

“We cannot put people into preconceived factions without understanding them first.” After sharing her tough experiences growing up, the author uses her personal experiences to try to inspire change, to convince her audience to take a step forwards, not one backwards, a step backwards into a society where our labels exploit their power over us and before we know it, we lose ourselves. “As a society, we must learn to keep our empathy but lose the labels.”