Personal identification with a particular category–especially when concerning beliefs or lifestyle–is one of the ways we seek communal association.

There is a sense of security when identifying with a community. Instead of stating their own beliefs and opinions (e.g., “recycling is good”, “Shiva is supreme”, “erotic pie fights are fun”), many people will cling to a collective identity that encompasses these beliefs (e.g., hippies, Hindus, pie fetishists).

These communal associations are sometimes helpful but sometimes harmful. Certain associations provide real benefits of community, but others simply act as a security mechanism to keep people from feeling alone with their ideas. There is nothing inherently wrong with this (since we are, after all, social animals), but categorical association can sometimes lead to the diminishing of independent critical thought or the pigeonholing of others into categories of your own.