Stereotypes

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27 Jun 2011, 9:30 pm

woah what's up with the negative stereotype that humans always have stereotypes?

Heh, yeah maybe it is true that everyone has a stereotype. It does not mean the stereotypes are anything more than a BS-itty generalization based on thin air. Let people keep stereotypes, it is when they make decisions based on those stereotypes that they are wrong, very wrong.

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Kraichgauer
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27 Jun 2011, 9:37 pm

Sand wrote:

Chummy wrote:

Everyone uses stereotypes. Our brain automatically tags people and matches them an attribute, mostly a negative one. For example, it's "not right" for a woman to work as a handyman, one prefers to date with a white girl, or all south americans use/make drugs.

There is such thing called the Freedom of thought, so everyone has the right to hold an opinion regarding a certain group of people. But when it comes to actions, like killing black people because they are black or swearing gays because they are gays I think it is morally wrong. Opinions kept in one's brain are harmless. But actions against a certain group can result in serious damage to that group. Think about that when you protest against someone, when you write an article to the newspaper about someone, when you make a rumour against someone, when you write on WP about a certain group or a certain individual.

Are you an easy pray to stereotypes? do you act according to them?

Quote:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me

Just some food for thought.

Attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller . That was a good deal of time before they started coming for the Palestinians.

Pastor Niemoller just didn't talk the talk, but also walked the walk, as he had spent the Second World War in a Nazi concentration camp for his opposition to Hitler. Too bad there weren't more Germans like him.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Sand
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27 Jun 2011, 10:31 pm

Vexcalibur wrote:

woah what's up with the negative stereotype that humans always have stereotypes?

Heh, yeah maybe it is true that everyone has a stereotype. It does not mean the stereotypes are anything more than a BS-itty generalization based on thin air. Let people keep stereotypes, it is when they make decisions based on those stereotypes that they are wrong, very wrong.

All people have individual components to their characters but it is not only not wrong to make generalizations about groups of people, it is a vitally useful component for making general policies. No advertising firm, sales organization, sociologist, politician, etc.,etc. could operate sanely without assuming general characteristics about sectors of humanity. It becomes maleficent when it is applied to individuals without specific knowledge of a specific person.

CrinklyCrustacean
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28 Jun 2011, 2:49 am

Vexcalibur wrote:

Heh, yeah maybe it is true that everyone has a stereotype. It does not mean the stereotypes are anything more than a BS-itty generalization based on thin air. Let people keep stereotypes, it is when they make decisions based on those stereotypes that they are wrong, very wrong.

Are you sure? Let's pretend there's a white guy, and every time a black guy sees him, on the street or otherwise, the black guy punches him. Now imagine the white guy is invited to a white friend's party, and the host wants to introduce him to a black guy who is one of the host's friends. What happens? The white guy stereotypes and in fright, runs out of the room. Is he wrong to stereotype? Morally, yes; from a practical standpoint, absolutely not: it's a matter of self protection.

leejosepho
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28 Jun 2011, 7:18 am

Vexcalibur wrote:

woah what's up with the negative stereotype that humans always have stereotypes?

Agreed.

Vexcalibur wrote:

Consciously and unconsciously, we all categorize. Some people end up on our "friendly" lists, and some do not. Some end up on our "accomplished" lists (like a mechanic, seamstress, or computer technician), and some not.

I have a neighbor who is friendly, accomplished and black, but I do not have a black list in my brain.

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AceOfSpades
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28 Jun 2011, 9:06 am

There is nothing wrong with putting things in category. Otherwise, your world would be a clusterf*ck. We just tend to be rash about it, that's all.

raisedbyignorance
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28 Jun 2011, 10:18 am

Despite past history with the KKK, I find that Indiana might not be a racist state (compared to living in the Bible belt) but it's a very stereotypical one. I attended a liberal college and even there, the most liberal of students were stereotyping people. I know this because being part Asian I got the worst of it.

I notice with groups such as blacks, Arabs, gays, and Jews...that is often stereotyping motivated by discrimination. Even to joke about the slightest stereotypes about these groups makes you a hater. So many people who claim to not be racists will walk eggshells around them. But stereotyping east-Asians is often humor-based so much to a degree that it's considered completely acceptable.

I hate it, and like I said I feel I got it worst than the four groups I mentioned despite being only half-Asian, American born, and having a heavy Hoosier accent. I also think it's hypocritical and unfair that we're always the exception to the rule based on certain grounds. I don't care if it can't be helped, you don't have one group be an exception to another and claim to not be stereotypical or racist. That's just hypocrisy at its peak. Sometimes I wish I was living in the Bible Belt because at least they hate all non-white&straight groups equally and don't B.S. themselves with certain exceptions.

PainInTheASpergerS
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28 Jun 2011, 2:09 pm

raisedbyignorance wrote:

I notice with groups such as blacks, Arabs, gays, and Jews...that is often stereotyping motivated by discrimination. Even to joke about the slightest stereotypes about these groups makes you a hater. So many people who claim to not be racists will walk eggshells around them. But stereotyping east-Asians is often humor-based so much to a degree that it's considered completely acceptable.

I find it quite racist to have to walk eggshells around minority groups. It discriminates against those who everyone feels it is socially acceptable to bash.

Hate on everyone equally I say! :twisted: