In my post ‘Pretending?‘, it started with the following –

That man wearing the expensive suit and driving that expensive car and with that expensive haircut – there is a man who is fake, a man who feels sadness, a man who needs fulfillment in his life.

The woman behind the shabby apron and torn outfit, with the hair falling in her face to hide the bruise, who is frustrated and tired – there is a woman who is scared and fragile, who wants more, who is searching for something else.

A boy who is taking his frustrations on someone else; making someone else feel less than him, making someone else feel bad with pain – there is a boy who is looking for something more in his life, something better, because he is empty and needs to be complete.

That girl who is consuming to exist, struggling, using her body, making someone else feel good – there is a girl who is weak in search for more, in search for herself, a chance, a better person, a better path and a better journey.

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In today’s post, I write the following –

When I started writing that post, the words started flowing and I put my thoughts on paper – the post is created – not much forethought except just the idea for the post.

When I completed the beginning of that post – I read what I wrote and I realized I was stereotyping.  Or maybe it came across to you as stereotyping.  At times I will write a post and then reword it to not come across as abusive, harmful or offensive.  After I read those first sentences, I felt they may come across to you the reader differently then what I meant them to be.  It was not my intent to say all men are fakes, for woman can also be fake.  It was not my intent to claim all women are abused; for men are abused also.  It was not my intent to indicate all boys are bullies; for girls are bullies also.  And it was not my intent to portray only girls are prostitutes; because boys use their bodies as well for pleasure to someone else.

SimplyPsychology.org article ‘Stereotypes’ starts with the following –

Definition: A stereotype is “…a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996). 

For example, a “hells angel” biker dresses in leather.

One advantage of a stereotype is that it enables us to respond rapidly to situations because we may have had a similar experience before.

One disadvantage is that it makes us ignore differences between individuals; therefore we think things about people that might not be true (i.e. make generalizations).

The use of stereotypes is a major way in which we simplify our social world; since they reduce the amount of processing (i.e. thinking) we have to do when we meet a new person.

By stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have. Stereotypes lead to social categorization, which is one of the reasons for prejudice attitudes (i.e. “them” and “us” mentality) which leads to in-groups and out-groups.

When my words were written, I had no intention to stereotype – but I did.

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