What does it mean that categories are constructed not discovered?

There is no single correct way to categorize — categories serve purposes.

Example: A hospital classifies a patient as 'non-compliant.' A social worker classifies the same person as 'under-resourced.' A billing system classifies them as 'high-risk.' Same human being, three categories — each constructed to serve a different institution's purpose. None of these categories was discovered in the patient. Each was imposed by a system with its own goals, and each produces different downstream actions: discharge notes, support referrals, premium adjustments.

Try this: Pick a category you use frequently — in your work, your note system, your daily language. It might be 'urgent,' 'technical debt,' 'A-player,' or 'healthy food.' Write down three things: (1) Who created this category? (2) What purpose does it serve? (3) What does it make invisible? If you struggle with question three, you have found a category you have been treating as discovered rather than constructed.