Generalizations are all around us. If a driver is below the speed limit we often assume they are elderly. Outgoing people are loud. Shy people are quiet. Women are more empathetic than men. Men are all visual. On and on our generalizations go. The big question is whether generalizations are good or bad. I say they are neither.
People often come to generalizations because they are useful. We can’t get to know every person we come across and so we need a way to make decisions quickly. If you are going to cross the street, it may be a helpful generalization to assume that all drivers are oblivious to pedestrians. While that isn’t true across the board, it is better to look both ways and assume a driver won’t stop then to trust the driver and get hit.
In the same token, generalizations are dangerous. If you assume all drivers are reckless, you may be afraid to drive yourself and lose out on many opportunities that driving would afford you. We often apply more extreme generalizations, or stereotypes, to ethnicity, genders, hair colors, body types, and more. These assumptions often lead to prejudice that can be extremely harmful to individuals or even large groups of people.
As you go through your day look out for any generalizations and stereotypes you tend to lean toward. If you see someone with tattoos, do you make assumptions about their personality or life style? If you see someone of a different ethnicity do you tend to automatically assume they have a certain work ethic? As you come across these stereotypes and learn what your prejudices may be, take a moment to consider how likely it is to really be true, how it might harm someone else, how it might harm yourself. Follow up by keeping an eye out for people that break your ‘rules’ for society. For instance, if you think all people with tattoos are rough criminals, be sure to notice the tattooed mother who is nurturing and kind, the tattooed man who helps an elderly woman cross the street, etc. As we open ourselves up to learn about others as individuals and to make decisions based in empathy, we help create a society that values differences and becomes strong, unified community.
Sources: Everyday Sociology, Psychology Today, Bright Hub Education.
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