Social Norms Of Stereotypes

We all have stereotypes, whether we choose to call them that or not. We judge someone on if they’re smart, dangerous, or snobby because of where they come from or what they look like before we even know their first name. I am no exception to this, as is the rest of the population. I will admit that I have judged people before. It’s hard to break from the societal norm of stereotyping others. I try not to, but I slip at some points too and judge someone before I truly know them.
Although I am embarrassed to admit it, I do have my own stereotypes that I tend to judge people by. When I see someone with multiple tattoos and piercings, I begin to get uneasy for fear of them being “dangerous”. It would worry me to be around multiple people who look “dangerous” because I would be afraid they would do something to harm me in some way. Another stereotype that I tend to think when meeting someone is that if they’re an only child, they are spoiled. Although psychology says it does hold true for some only children, I know it’s not always true. When I know someone is an only child, I tend to think that they get their way a lot and respond in a negative way when they don’t.

Our society has always lived with stereotypes. Even as far back as the colonial days, Indians were judged as not as well educated. We can live with stereotypes, however, we should also be able to live without them. I think that living in a society without stereotypes would be a wonderful thing. We would be forced to get to know someone before making judgements about their personalities. Stereotypes are a large part of our society, and we won’t get rid of them anytime soon. However, I believe that it is possible to live both with and without