Hey, Sam77777, here! Just writing another informative article. Have any of you reading this heard of a stereotype? I have. I've been a victim to it too. Some of you readers might have been, but didn't know. Well, I'm here to educate you on the subject of stereotyping.
The real dictionary definition of a stereotype is one who is embodying or conforming to a set image or type. All that means is that you're labeling something for what you've seen or heard about that thing. Sometimes stereotypes can seem very true or possible, but most of them are unreasonable and really hurtful.
Take for example, someone walks up to a blonde person and asks them a question then quickly takes it back saying, "You can't answer that because blondes are stupid. That is a very common stereotype that people hear. I, for one, have been stereotyped for my ethnic background, German. I told a classmate that and I was told that Germans hate Jewish people, but in reality, I love the Jewish religion.
Stereotypes can sometimes be taken in a somewhat nice way. Like if you're exceptionally tall, people might say that you should play basketball because you are really good at it. That might help you find something you really like or might help you realize a talent you might not posess. Another stereotype that may seem like a compliment is that all people that wear glasses are smart. I believe that everyone can be very smart with or without glasses and I hope many other people do too.
A very hard question to answer is why do people stereotype? Some say that people fear what they don't know, so they make them what they want them to be. Other reasons may be that someone needs a way to describe someone, for good or for bad. It may also be for the reputation of a group of people, such as teenagers. Some people say that teenagers are all moody and full or hormones and have zits. Teens may be like that at times but they aren't always the same. Things are always changing.
So, the moral of this article, listen up because you'll be quized on this later (just kidding), is that stereotypes shouldn't be used, even if they seem good. It might make a group of people feel good, but what about the rest of the people in the world? How do you think they would feel? As for harmful stereotypes, I say never use them. They can hurt people's feelings and cause very big disagreements between friends, neighbors, or harmless aquaintances.
Sam77777, signing off saying, keep stereotypes away and your friends will stay.
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