WI FI (An Achievement Nudge about Self-Labeling)

---

Last Updated on May 26, 2025 by Bill Truby

Are you holding on to outdated or useless labels? So is the rest of the world. But sometimes what WE hold on to about our SELVES can be quite damaging.

What does “Wi Fi” mean? Absolutely nothing. That’s right…nothing. It has become associated with something, but by itself – nothing. Like “apple” – it has become associated with a computer but doesn’t mean “computer.” Let me tell you the story.

If you Google Wi-Fi, you will find “reliable” dictionaries who say it means “Wireless Fidelity” but that definition came from a tag line that was used over 10 years ago that said, “Wi-Fi – the Standard for Wireless Fidelity”. But the tag line was dropped rather quickly even though the content hung around as a hand-me-down, socially-perpetuated label. Here is the real story.

In 1999 a few global industry leaders allied together in a non-profit organization with the goal to create a single set of world-wide standards for wireless local area networking (WLAN). They called themselves the “Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA).” A mouthful in just the name. But there was more “gobble-de-gook” (to continue to use technical terms).

The standards they created were called “IEEE 802.11”. Can you tell they must have been technical nerds? What a catchy title – IEEE 802.11. Google THAT and you will get an accurate definition: “…a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network (WLAN) in the 2.4, 3.2 and 5 GHZ frequency bands.” But this was too much for our daily use.

Those techy nerds were smart enough to know they needed another title for the standards than IEEE 802.11 so they hired Interbrand to come up with a name. This is the company who created some naming strategies for IBM, and named Prozak, Celbrex, the Mitsubishi Eclipse and more.

Interbrand came up with a number of interesting options but the one that took and stuck was “Wi Fi”, sort of a play on “Hi Fi” but it was never intended to mean that or be anything other than a catchy name to be ASSOCIATED with “IEEE 802.11 – the World-Wide Standards for Wireless Local Area Networking”.

Then, just like what happens in our life, the label is created and we perpetuate the label as if it means something; a label that is ASSOCIATED with something but MEANS nothing. (Starting to get the point of this nudge?)

There are experts who insist it means something. There are dictionaries who swear by the “wireless fidelity” definition. There are people who don’t believe and can’t accept the historical origination of the truth over the perpetuated myth of the lie!!

Ok; I’m getting a bit worked up. But I get angry when I see people become victims and perpetuate “lie-labels” about THEM! “You’ll never amount to anything; You’re always late; You can’t be depended on; You’re not going to make it…” are labels that probably had a shaky or faulty origin. Yet we perpetuate them, believe them, live by them, are limited by them – we even define ourselves by them! ARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!! Stop it!

Your nudge is to look your labels in the eye. Ask if they are true. If they are, do something about them. If not, on your behalf, I stand with you and slay any myth of any hand-me-down label that may be associated with you, but doesn’t mean anything at all. This ends today!  Anything that causes you anxiety, fear, sadness, or limitation, disavow it. Let it go. Create a new label for yourself. One that is based on TRUTH!

---

This article is part of our ongoing Achievement Nudge series—short, witty, and often inspirational articles to spark your personal and professional growth. Explore more nudges on our blog, or sign up for our weekly Nudge and News email. Each edition includes an Achievement Nudge plus leadership, professional development, and personal growth videos and articles to keep you inspired and on track.

---