What do you think about stereotypes?

[zarus tathra]

Stereotypes, IMO, exist for a reason. And yes, blah blah blah, exceptions to the rules, but people can figure out who the exceptions to the rule are pretty quickly.

[_Xenu_]

This will end well.

[Jmpty]

For example?  

[Elohim]

Stereotypes create confirmation bias, which in turn gives false legitimacy to the stereotype. Also, even if they are based in truth, stereotypes create a filter through which we subconsciously judge individual members of the group whether the stereotype applies to that individual or not. I think that's unfortunate.

[Solitary]

Cartoon characters are usually stereotypes, just as goofy, dopey, witches etc.    Solitary

[hillbillyatheist]

in my experience, people are individuals.

people all do it though, me included. then we get shocked when we're proven wrong, again and again.

One of the latest for me was when I went to a bluegrass jam camp. I'm a fan and I STILL had stereotypes of it being mostly music for old people, and me being weird. I expected to be the youngest there. nope. plenty my age and younger even. and the leader of the group was an atheist, liberal humanist with a doctorate in sociology. and the guy who gave me a ride home was a dentist. So much for it being music for rubes.

Stereotyping is natural it seems because we're pattern seeking creatures, but with humans, there just doesn't seem to be any real pattern to them.

people should really try to get to know others without trying to stuff them in a box.
stereotyping is part of what racism is. treat everybody as a unique person that they are.

[Shiranu]

Stereotypes create confirmation bias, which in turn gives false legitimacy to the stereotype. Also, even if they are based in truth, stereotypes create a filter through which we subconsciously judge individual members of the group whether the stereotype applies to that individual or not. I think that's unfortunate.

This and HBA's post.

For the most part, all humans want the same general things in life. I don't see any significant differences in human beings to warrant categorizing them as anything different than I based simply on their skin colour or culture.

That is not to say you shouldn't be aware of cultural differences and behave accordingly, but I don't consider that stereotyping.

[Jelly Penutbutter]

I live south of Toledo and there's a lot of gang violence. Anyway most of the crime is from the black comunity, and now anyone that'sblack from around there is just thought of as a gangbanging porchmonkey. Though most that I've met are very cool people.

[Weltfrieden]

Stereotypes exist only out of ignorance and serve no practical purpose other than to expose the ignorance of those who exercise them.

[Solitary]

Stereotypes, IMO, exist for a reason. And yes, blah blah blah, exceptions to the rules, but people can figure out who the exceptions to the rule are pretty quickly.

When groups of people get together they show typical stereotype behavior, and like you said you recognized the exceptions. Construction workers don't act the same way as a group of CEO's. Most woman don't act the same way as street walkers. Different races don't act or behave the same way; in fact this is what prejudice or bigotry is, when a person or group doesn't accept the differences and don't want to be around them because they make them feel uncomfortable, or hate them because they are different and can't accept them. Wouldn't it be boring as hell if everyone was a certain stereotype and all the same?   :-k  Solitary

[PJS]

Many stereotypes are statistically accurate. People of course can and should set aside these stereotypes when considering any individual. In life we ought treat people as individuals-but this does not negate the general accuracy of some stereotypes.

There is inaccuracy more often when people have few firsthand encounters with the stereotyped group and sometimes ingroup/outgroup mentality creates gross distortions.

[Shiranu]

The thing is people can belong to any stereotype regardless of race, culture, age, sex... anything. While a group may be predominately one of the above, you shouldn't assume everyone of that r/ca/s is of that stereotype, nor are people outside of it not part of that stereotype.

Life would not be any less boring if stereotypes didn't exist because a stereotype is not a person's actions, it's another's reactions.

[aitm]

I have found a certain fondness of the stereotype, but not from those outside the target group but rather from the target themselves. If there is a behavior considered to be a "positive" trait, I have found that many tend to be quite proud of that stereotype. I would suggest that many groups promote their own stereotypes.

[Triple Nine]

As a young black male who likes stuff such as Nintendo, rock, classical, manga, philosophy, and a ton of other nerdy interests I can tell you stereotyping hasn't been kind to me. One of the first things I often find myself having to do in a new group of people is sort of hinting in subtle ways that I am not the stereotypical young black male. This isn't necessarily even a gangbanger, just certain patterns of speech and other little stuff. I often get comments on how I'm not the stereotypical black person (or honestly just person in general) and I've been straight up called the "whitest person" someone knows. And yes that's comes from white people.

We as people will always stereotype, and there are certain characteristics groups have. Let's try and not do that though, because all it does is put more unneeded pressure on others, like me.

[the_antithesis]

I've been straight up called the "whitest person" someone knows.

Well, golly.