Do You Realise You Are Stereotyping Yourself?

Weird And Wonderful would love to make others realise the dangers of stereotyping yourself and others: means you are creating an inferiority complex developed by your thoughts; in turn this becomes your own stereotype.

As soon as you label yourself – you are giving others the power to have control over you. Also, as soon as you label others you are giving them the power to control you.

Dialogue examples of stereotyping others and yourself:

I have many “black friends”…

Good for you: round of applause for labelling your friends. You are off to a great start categorising your companions.

Just think about the context of what you say; so the person is white  or black – what about their character? What about their height and build? What about their interests? If the person is of a different skin colour try this method rather than labelling

I told a “white lie”….

So white people lie? Just white people?

Only Chinese people are good at maths….

So, all of a sudden  Srinivasa Ranujani, Pytagoras, Archimedies, Albert Einstein are Chinese.

The power is taken away from you – as soon as you hear those words and then they are stuck. Feelings of being labelled last a lifetime.

White people are always racist…

As soon as you open your mouth: racist!

Black people are always racist…

As soon as you open your mouth: racist

Spanish people are always racist…

Seeing a pattern here. As soon as you categorise a race you are racist!

Chinese people only speak to Chinese people…

No because there are 55 ethnic minorties of chinese people and six different languages. Not all of them understand one another. They do try to form a language and it is formally known as Mandarin . Therefore, when people say they are learning Chinese they are also creating a boundary; Specifically stating you are learning Mandarin means you have formed a respect for that culture – you are beginning to learn to break boundaries. When someone does not specifically state things it automatically forms a stereotype. Therefore, when you come across a Chinese person and you say they are speaking Chinese – they think you are rude and could be offended.

Even cats are subjected to stereotyping through this statement. What if the Cat lived in China? What if the Cat was Egyptian?

Russians are rich and evil… They have all the money in the world and are just spiteful and communist

Is this about the money, or, the fact that they oppress their people? Yes – but not all of them have money, Communism  means they are being controlled by the government. It means they as a nation do not have choices as individuals, they are a collective and are forced to think in the manner of their ruler.  They do not have a voting system – they are not given a voice and they are systematically put in circumstances leading to their deaths and this could be Mass murders of the 20th Century – Statistics for Russian democide, apparently the Russian Czar began mass murdering people – the numbers are astronomical 1,000,000. So, as many as Hitler and the halocaust he created in Auschwitz . Apparently, Hitler killed 6,000,000 Jews, I say apparently becausd it is estimated at that amount – it could actually be more.

This is nothing compared to the calculated Slavery deaths, which is estimated at 17, 500, 000.

Let’s be reasonable and not be impartial towards one country because it really does not stop there. Throughout history the Ottoman Empire ruled Turkey in the beginning of the 20th Century; they went through a process of ethnic cleansing Turkish democide statistics show, as many as 3,000,000 died because they were Armanian, Greek or Christians. These moments in history are why we really ought to move on from creating stereotypes.

My all time stereotypical comments heard recently:

All Male Hairdressers are Gay; Male nurses are Gay too; – I would feel comfortable if they were Gay anyway…. because they are near my wife.

Her Gynaecologist had a wedding ring and he panicked, hence, he was wishing male she came into contact with was gay. Yes – Gender discrimination  swings both ways!

Sexist comments are always in the media. I actually feel, men are trying to be equals: it is the endless game of labelling and stereotyping that make it really difficult to create equality. Men do not even trust other men.

I am not racist; I have an Asian Girlfriend, who I paid to marry me. She is Asian and therfore, she would like to be owned….

Yes – I read it somewhere; my jaw dropped. So, all Asian women are concubines? Wow! What a way to treat your wife, especially since she travelled all that way to be with you. She will never be your equal.

My black ancestors are all African and therefore, I have nothing in common with white folk… How dare they enslave us for centuries.

So, hold on – your African ancestors did not sell slaves off for money to make money? Exploitation still happens in Africa today. As many as 30,000 children are human trafficked in South Africa African Check on Human Trafficking

I am Chinese therefore my folks will not let me be with anyone but a Chinese person; I am always told – Chinese is the way forward, we will pioneer.

Impossible – I had some friends who are Chinese and Japanese descents – they are not ashamed to be Chinese and share their background. Even the Siberians, Tibetans and Mongolians are blessed.

They are Polish – I do not understand them – I think they are rude speaking Polish behind my back.

You must have said something to offend them – go back and ask them how to speak their language or learn.

See that Middle Eastern Guy with back pack; he must have a bomb inside his bag.

Goodness, going around accusing people will sure make Alot of people dislike you. The world must scare you – have you been out lately?

All Middle Eastern people are Muslims…. they cannot be Christians because they are no where near close to Jesus….

Jesus was from Damascus. Here is a link to Persecuted Christians in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Middle East is a complex place – the least people could do is just leave them to it and let them deal with their own problems instead of forming this opinion that all Muslims are crazy and all Christians are crazy. Why not try a different perspective…are all religions just a stereotype?

We stick to our own kind because it is safer that way. We were told “White is Right”… I am not being friends with people who mix with others.

You must be lonely – how does it feel to be isolated? What does it feel like to be an extremist? Are you poor and unemployed because of your views?

Feel free to read How I became a White Supremacist – Christian Picciolini …. you will be amazed at the amount of difficulties he faced having the stereotype of “white supremacy”. He really went through a difficult time. I feel, maybe this story will prevent people from going down the route of destruction.

Disabled People cannot think for themselves because they cannot do much. They always need someone to help them with their life; they are always dependent on everyone around them – they don’t even have feelings.

So, if you broke your leg or your arm – someone makes fun of you and makes you feel sad and angry, because they made fun of your arm – those are not feelings? You had feelings right? It is called verbal abuse/ overt discrimination – verbal abuse and it continues for people as The World Health Organisation – Statistics for Abused Children and People with Disabilities prove that many do not even feel like they have a voice and they are not being heard because so many have this warped sense of thought process and lack of empathy, towards people with disabilities.

Aborigines are darkiees – we do not talk to them. They are always getting drunk and starting fights, getting arrested and then they die in the cells – not our fault – they should have been in the outback, where they belong.

But you are not the indigenous of Australia,  hence, you are frightened of the outback and so therefore, it is classified as “neocolonialism”: Black deaths: the face of Neo – colonialism, please feel free to click on the link.

You only get kidnapped in Colombia because they are always wanting to make money out of tourists.

Not likely – kidnapping happens all over the world: Africa, India, Pakistan and Venezuela. Kidnapping Hot Spots around the globe. So stereotyping the Colombians means, you end up stereotyping yourself through lack of knowledge about the rest of the world by forming a stereotype of that country.  I feel I can prove it.

Weird and Wonderful would like to give these comments the 5 stars for stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination award. Why?

Stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice are all the same beast. The problem is by making those comments – I feel it is not only making situations worse. It is making yourself mould a barrier  – even for employment. I feel many think that unemployment is due to people not wanting to work.

I feel it could be for several reasons which lead to the person forming a discrimination towards intelligence, as this post will form evidence to suggest, intelligence and training is not free in certain countries.

Forming a barrier, leads to complications in the certain countries  –  due to the law’s on anti – discrimination, policies and proceedures in the workplace. Therefore, if a person behaves inappropriately, this effects the persons opportunities.

So what does Prejudice actually mean?

Prejudice : an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling especially formed without knowledge – Cambridge Dictionary

I feel my theory is based on intelligence.  I feel those feelings of desperation is based on depravity and I feel, Christian Picciolini, (2015) makes a valid point about his vulnerability of not being able to find work – he was in a tight and difficult situation because he had formed boundaries. Therefore, I feel this is further evidence of having to let go of “self – identification,” and using skills and intelligence, rather than any other means of objectifying or going against a system which will always stereotype.

He used categorisation over actually enabling himself. He became inferior to others through his skill level. So because he was not able to get a job because of his lack of knowledge – he became resentful. However, this is not actually fair me picking on a former White Supremacist….. what do you think? Shall I find his counterpart? Why not? Fair is Fair!

Albert Woodfox, was arrested for being apart of the Black Panthers in 1968 and was accused of murdering a prison guard.

He did not murder the guard, but, spent 43 years in jail until he was finally released recently, as the story shows the life is hard for anyone who actually wants to stand up for their group: Former Black Panther Prisoner, Albert Woodfox freed after serving 43 years in Prison. Therefore I feel both stories are the same – if you stereotype yourself, and put yourself through the stereotype hardships: it equals trouble – jail or drugs – either way it is unemployment.

Choosing a group is a choice. Being born with a colour of skin is not a choice – Weird and Wonderful, (2015)

Therefore, neither are privelaged. One may have been treated more unfairly, but society saw both of them as a threat. As Linville, (1998) says there is a possibility of “out group homogeneity effect,” and this is through a process of attitudes, values, personal traits and other characteristics.

So, both the White Supremacy group and the Black Panthers are categorised groups and when you are “in group” – you are Stereotyped.  Therefore with all these attachments to human traits – it feels personal, when that group is Stereotyped because it affects a person’s self – esteem and social identity, according to Linville, (1998). I feel this is why people end up in Prison or being into contact with drugs when they are not able to go through a process of detachment, from a group.

I feel, the most appropriate way to describe this stereotyping means it becomes a threat. Claude Steel, et al, (1997) noticed that people who are Stereotyped faced a second burden:

The threat that their behaviour will confirm a negative stereotype. “Stereotype Threat”, can create anxiety and hamper performance on a variety of tasks. – Steel, et al,(1997).

What does the word Stereotype actually mean?

Stereotype: A widely held but fixed over simplified image or idea of a particular person – Oxford Dictionary

So, let’s say the typical “Skin Head” – is always white.  No – because…

– What if the person has cancer?

– Have you ever seen anyone with the hair loss disease Alopecia Areata? Did you know that it affects both Genders?

– Have you not seen the artist “Skin” from Skunk Anasie before?

Skin from Skunk Anasie. Proves, stereotyping people for even their musical tastes means you are trying to “intellectualise their blackness”. Do listen to that song via Spotify – it is a perfect example of trying not to stereotype.

So What is discrimination?

Discrimination: treating a person, or, a particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, sex, sexuality e.t.c.

What types of prejudice and discrimination are out there?

I felt like doing some research as some are hell bent on following hearsay, stumbled across: The Psychology of Prejudice – S. Plous, (2003).

“Personal discrimination” – is committed by individuals making a whole bunch of hate speech and being darn right vulgar, which is called overt discrimination.

However, personal discrimination can actually be based on government which is covert discrimination or Indirect discrimination . So when you are categorised by “right – wing authoritarians”, they believe in categorising people and creating a divide within people’s, hearts and minds towards one another.

I feel this means institutional discrimination is more dominant, but, statistics have been frozen to prove this fact. Institutional discrimination is based on your own government forming categorisations.

So who started this whole categorisation nonsense?

According to S.Plous, (2003) some really warped things happened in the 1920’s to prove white superiority exists and intelligence levels were calculated between ethnic minorities and white people.

I feel all this is unethical;  I do not think discrimination of this kind should have happened because I guess it lead to one of the biggest dick head in history – Hitler.  Because well according to John Duckitt, (1992) –  the 1920’s research included the results of “Jewish people” – this was the beginning of ‘anti -sematism’. Round of applause for creating categorisation (ignorance of researcher’s; it would have been scrapped nowadays) – when actually in those days education was not really forced for even women. I also feel that the ethnic cleansing which happened due to the changes in the world before 1920, created stereotyping.

 Well-designed studies in South Africa, Russia, Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere have found that right-wing authoritarianism is associated with a variety of prejudices (Altemeyer, 1996; Duckitt & Farre, 1994; McFarland, Ageyev, & Abalakina, 1993).

So basically, these warped views based on some really “stereotypical”, or “bias”, formulated by bad research . This unethical research lead to the covert and overt and covert discrimination, we see today. Even in countries like UK, Canada, America, South Africa, Russia and wherever else you have some imperialistic nature…. Have to hand it to the Australian goverment for believing in some unethical study, it is only right that we see the patterns formed by others. It is all about money and power.

Imperialism and the motives.

“Second, people who view the social world hierarchically are more likely than others to hold prejudices toward low-status groups. This is especially true of people who want their own group to dominate and be superior to other groups — a characteristic known as “social dominance orientation” (Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994). 

I feel certain countries across the globe are forcing their culture on others – so stereotyping would ensue unless they behave differently.

Social dominance orientation – I feel is the platform of why certain people cannot actually understand why they are being discriminated against. We are talking about centuries of imperialism.

What is imperialism?

Imperialism A policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means – Oxford Dictionary. 

Imperialistic Era, (1870 – 1914). The countries around the world were colonised. The products and wealth generated globalisation which is still dominant today.

So it is all about money and power; therfore, I am not participating in their silly games. We are mere pawns in this game of chess and I will not be calling people derogatory names or feeling uncomfortable about being who I want to be.

Imperialism is based on political economics; I feel exposing the nature of money and power people should consider as Cultural Globalisation. Capitalism is actually a cultural globalisation and a form of suppressing other countries and forcing them to think in the manner of their suppressors. So, “right wing authoritarians,” believe in holding disregard with other races, according to (Altemeyer, 1981; Martin, 2001; Pettigrew, 1958) means, imperalism still exists.

If imperialism does still exist, I feel,  I choose not to be prejudice, then, in defiance I will stand because – I am not playing their games.

I feel all the while they pump the media full of hate and fear with sensationalism. All the while they are separating the people through using stereotypes. Why?

“Money makes the world go round.”

According to Gordon Allport, (1954) we have to have this way of categorising people.

“The human mind must think with the aid of categories….Once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. ” – Allport, (1954). 

I feel Allport, (1954) was living back then. He has no idea that we were not born to think in a structured way, we learn it. All behaviour is learned and cognitively: memory is categorised but we can program our behaviour.

I feel I was never prejudice as a child. In fact, I try my upmost not to be today. I must admit even through law’s it is difficut. I do find people sometimes think me as immature now because I have a blank expression, or, they think – she made a scary good point – like all the replies to the comments above. So as a child I never hated anyone. However, I was beginning to formulate opinions when my self – esteem was low. Apparently – children are like blank slates – you can teach them everything.

According to “Prejudice And Your Child” by  Kenneth Clark, (1955) black children as young as three were rejecting the black dolls and showing a clear preference for the white doll in an experiment to show attitudes about race. He thought this was because it was an indirect self – rejection.

I feel that purposefully, I am going to play devil’s advocate.

Where the children in the experiment used from a colonialist country other than an imperialistic country?

No -The children in the experiment were American.

Therefore, Clark, (1955) proved the influence of parents, made the children favour the white doll because they were aware that American society preferred white people.

I feel I am convinced there was more opression in 1955: more evidence was shown through “Racial Identification and Preferences in Negro Children,”  Clark, (1947) he states:

“By the age of three, children are racially aware and forming prejudices. In 1930’s America white and Black children showed a preference for white children and a rejection of blackness.” – Clark, (1947)

So who teaches a child to hate and fear another race? 

“Segregation and social influences from parents, teachers, playmates, and the media lead to children internalising racist attitudes”  – Clark, (1955)

So this example must not be enough for some: as I thought what about the middle east.

Israel is one of the most war torn countries in the world – with nearly 75 years of prejudice and war. A study revealed anti – Arab prejudices where found in children as little as 2 1/2, according to Bar – Tal, (1996).  I feel I cannot imagine the amount of hatred that has caused to the middle east.

Further studies to support Clark (1955), on mass media:

“one of the main places that children and adults learn stereotypes is the mass media. Content analysis have found that advertising, television programs, movies and other media are saturated with racial gender stereotypes” – Entman & Rojeck,(2000) ; Furnham & Mak, (1999); Plous & Neptune, (1997).

Let’s be honest – I feel colour blind people see shades of Grey – so I feel we ought to stop pretending everything is Black and White….

I am not colour blind – I think people should be aware of how they conduct themselves because this is the 21st century and quite frankly, we are regressing.

I feel certain countries have done what they can through legislation to provide effective measures. However, the categorisation  is a massive upheaval, people of different cultures and sub – groups are forming opinions which still have the attached categorisation theory. Through cultural globalisation,  the self – identify and the countries of origin have been some what disrepected. Education in the “right wing authoritarian” countries means they have control over how much a person learns about who is in control of them.

People must have the ability to “let go” of their self – categorisation and break boundaries or prejudice or the discriminaton will continue.

“In Psychology “norms” are expectations or rules that are acceptable in any given situation and research suggests that even one person’s public support for anti- prejudice “norms” is enough to move other people in that direction” – Blanchlard, Lilly & Vaughan, (1991)

I feel people do not know  how to behave in certain situations. Some where raised in a way to think with an open mind and seek a different perspective. I feel others are too used to being cuddled in a fashion  and are unable to let go.

“Segregation is a way in which sociey tells a group of human beings that they are inferior” – Clark, (1955).

So – why do I think differently? 

In 1978, the first inter racial schools were developed. So – I do not have those narrow minded views. I feel I have travelled Alot so I have been exposed to different ways of thinking.

I will not give people the satisfaction of stereotyping me because I have the choice to not let them take away my dignity, self – worth and self – esteem.

I feel I can understand if someone has never had to mix with others, before. However – some are just lost causes because they do not realise – they are just stereotyping themselves.

Racial intergration – is based on the respect for others, but this has been completed through a process called Desegregation: it has many negative aspects of this process – the government is in control and there can be seen as a process to undo the damage created in a sociological and political

I feel we must break imperalism and cultural globalisation attitudes, in order for anti- discrimination law’s to serve a purpose.

I feel if we cannot engage with one another without exposing prejudice to children and adults, also encourage integration; then war and conflict will always be there. Infact click on the links – people are dying everyday through stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.

Even if you are offended by whomever, it means you are giving them power to control, you through fear. I feel there are ways to combat your fears:

1. Learn a new language

2. Ask people how they feel about themselves, not their colour or any other categorisation. Don’t call one another derogatory names in the workplace and follow the law’s of the land.  

3. Stop hanging out with the same friends and broaden your horizon.

4. Travel more or read more history books. 

5. Switch the TV off and read.

6. Tell your parents to stop saying things that make them look inferior to others.

7. Tell your friends and work colleagues to stop thinking they are inferior to others.

9. Read the law’s of your land and empower yourselves.

10. Face fear in the face and have a multicultural festival where you live.

I feel confused by people whom are scared about jobs and scared about life; I feel, perhaps, they really feel helpless and hopeless?

“stereotypes become self – perpetual, especially when individual’s are made to feel self – conscious, or, inadequate”- S. Plous, (2003).

The effects of stereotyping

So my advice to the helpless and hopeless is to stop moaning and change things. Learn something new, find a new skill and be who you need to be.

The effects of stereotyping

Hate is like a big stink bomb – it establishes itself in so many ways – envy, anger, pain, dishonesty, betrayal, etc. It lingers too long and makes people feel bitter. So this is why imperalism was a cover – up for 300 years of cultural imperialism

Do not dislike a person who can prove they have the ability not to be prejudice without turning to God. I spent most my life, being brainwashed by the media – I could not possibly hate another human being again. I just see the country you are from –  I feel many would just love to leave it that way, however, it is up to the people.

All citations are avaliable through the links provided.

The psychology Book, C. Collin, N. Benson, J. Gisburg, V. Grand, M. Lazyan, W. ( 2012) DK London, 1st Edition, UK