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General Interest > Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology
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Transcending Stereotypes
    #910451 -

Well, I was just at the grocery store, and this older lady with gobs of make-up on and a scowl on her face passed me with her shopping cart. I didn?t realize it at the time, but as I passed her, I just kind of fit her in this neat little, ready-made category- the old, cranky, pretentious, bitch category. It wasn?t until later that it really hit me- how much do I do this? I get a very limited amount of information on somebody (e.g., physical appearance, language accent, dress, quantity of make-up) and I just stick em right in a category, a category that could easily not fit her in several ways. I do it all of the time.

Stereotypes are like a mental shortcut that apply to people- they allow us to size up a situation quickly based on a limited amount of information. If I see a guy with a bandana on his head and an AK in his hand running toward me in an alley at night, I?m pretty glad I don?t need to stop and collect more data before I am sure that I need to get the hell out of there- I?m glad my stereotype tells me that this is a guy to watch out for. But I guess sometimes, mental shortcuts lead to more negative than positive- of course there is the whole racial profiling issue?

I guess the problem I am having is that on one hand, it seems like it would be a move toward maturity or enlightenment if we could just get rid of our stereotypes, to not judge people based on a limited amount of information. But on the other hand, do we need to stop and gather a complete historical background, look at all possible perspectives before making any kind of judgment? Eggh, maybe there is some middle ground?


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Concepts which have been proved to be useful in ordering things easily acquire such an authority over us that we forget their human origins and accept them as invariable.- Albert Einstein

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: buttonion]
    #910616 -

Aristotle.

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: buttonion]
    #910845 -

who says you have to pass judgement on someone?
couldnt we be content with the mystery of it all?
"I wonder what that person thinks about at night before they go to sleep?"

I think theres probably more constructive things to do then to 'get to know' everyone you see
be peaceful strangers
or something

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: Grav]
    #910890 -

who says you have to pass judgement on someone?

It is largely instinctual. When faced with a unknown situation, one must quickly assess the danger with very little information. You are getting into your car late at night and you see someone approaching, you have seconds to decide if they are dangerous and what action to take.

Not while this does not likely apply to the little old lady in the supermarket, I think it is an ingrained habit to size everybody up quickly - right or wrong.


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The proof is in the pudding.

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: buttonion]
    #911932 -

In reply to:
I get a very limited amount of information on somebody (e.g., physical appearance, language accent, dress, quantity of make-up) and I just stick em right in a category, a category that could easily not fit her in several ways. I do it all of the time.




Good for you. Some people never realize how much we do this. I've been trying not to for a while now, but as Swami said, it is so instinctual that it takes a perpetual conscious effort not to. Sometimes, when I have an 'off' day I just let the judgements fly, and when I do, I find it makes me miserable.

The truth is the idea of 'types of people' is a myth. We see one common thread between two individuals and instantly we pigeonhole them into ready-made categories that imply they are all the same.

In reply to:
who says you have to pass judgement on someone?
couldnt we be content with the mystery of it all? (Grav)



We feel more secure making up the truth that admitting to ourselves that we are ignorant. It becomes such a habit that we lose sight of the fact that they are just assumptions, not reliable assessments. A good exercise is to think of your close friends, and if you can remember the first time you met them, compare what you thought of them then to what you think of them now. What did you assume about them that you now know to be untrue?

I find the longer you can hold off judging ANYTHING (people, things, situations, ideas), the less upsetting life is in general. Now I try not to judge at all unless there is a clear reason to. There seldom is. It's hard though, but it gets easier. And the rewards of becoming comfortable with ignorance are too great to not bother.


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Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man.  For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire.  Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it.

~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"

:heartpump:

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: WhiskeyClone]
    #914700 -

I find the longer you can hold off judging ANYTHING (people, things, situations, ideas), the less upsetting life is in general. Now I try not to judge at all unless there is a clear reason to. There seldom is. It's hard though, but it gets easier.

Yeah, I guess my question assumed that we have to eventually come to some sort of judgement of a person, one way or the other. Putting off judgment all together seems to be another option- never really forming any good/bad idea of the person. Wow, that sounds like something to aspire to. But then if we don't judge at all, that kind of suggests that we have no underlying moral code. Or that we are ignoring it? Hmmm.....

And the rewards of becoming comfortable with ignorance are too great to not bother.

Great line. It shall be placed in my "cool quotes" file.


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Concepts which have been proved to be useful in ordering things easily acquire such an authority over us that we forget their human origins and accept them as invariable.- Albert Einstein

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: WhiskeyClone]
    #914956 -

Thank you for being so revealing. Now I got you pegged.

Cheers,

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: ]
    #915341 -

You think THAT was revealing?

I'm terribly sorry, but you asked for it:




Consider yourselves lucky you got the 'after' version. 

Alcohol and a digital camera are a bad mix. 

edit: [picture of testicles edited out by CyberChump during an acute attack of prudence]

edit2: If you really want to see them they are already on the BB somewhere.... :crazy:


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Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man.  For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire.  Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it.

~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"

:heartpump:

Edited by CyberChump (09/28/02 04:51 PM)

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: WhiskeyClone]
    #915427 -

Thank you for the edit.  That was more info than I needed.  If it helps you at all I looked at this through my e-mail notifications where the photograph can still be seen.

Thank you for the new wallpaper. :smile: :wink:

Cheers, 

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: buttonion]
    #915536 -

I have also caught myself doing this at times, I still do to a degree but I think I've really cooled it down. You can tell a little bit about a person by the way they present themselves to the world but thats only persona, a mask. But when I start categorizing people I ask myself if I'm being fair and wonder what they think about, what the desire and what their dreams are. We're all one, and if we judge someone for thier mask we're judging ourselves in a way too. We need to avoid it when at all appropriate.

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: ]
    #915815 -

Do you want the 'before' pic as well? You could make a checkerboard pattern on your desktop. Or on your living room wall if you have a good printer and a glue stick.


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Welcome evermore to gods and men is the self-helping man.  For him all doors are flung wide: him all tongues greet, all honors crown, all eyes follow with desire.  Our love goes out to him and embraces him, because he did not need it.

~ R.W. Emerson, "Self-Reliance"

:heartpump:

Edited by CyberChump (09/28/02 08:55 PM)

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Re: Transcending Stereotypes [Re: WhiskeyClone]
    #915837 -

Um, let me think about that.

Ok, no, but thanks for the offer! :wink:

Anything new going on in OTD that I should know about?

I depend on spies for all my secret info, ya know? :wink:

"Follow me I'm drunk with power!"

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General Interest > Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology
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