The self-fulfilling-prophecy is the key point. Anything we label actually exists if (this doesn't always happen), applying the label causes some remarkable effe

The self-fulfilling-prophecy is the key point. Anything we label actually exists if (this doesn't always happen), applying the label causes some remarkable effect. Beyond that, the question is whether labels reflect real meaning or value? For instance, does the label assist in predicting anything else? We do not live in a post-racial society because people who get labeled "black" are also predictably statistically more likely to be found to suffer various consequences of racism (police harassment, systemic poverty…). Can we predict things about anyone labeled "white"? Probably, but maybe less so. So, if the predictive value of a "white" label is less statistically strong than that of a "black" label, then the former is a less valuable label to discuss (I don't know about the truth of the stats). So, everything is fuzzy, but those correlations that are real statistically powerful ones are the places where labels are most useful and reflective of insights into the world. The danger is that the self-fulfilling part interacts with the other-correlation part. So, if "black" people are statistically poorer and everything correlated with that, then applying the label could reinforce that stereotype etc. etc. tough situation… and lots of dynamics for any particular label and consideration.