Stereotypes

There is an old saying that says “when you assume, you make an ass out of “u” and me.” I think this statement contains a great deal of truth in it. Assumptions lead to a systematic way of thinking that, in my opinion, cripples the relationships that we have with one another. Stereotypes only create barriers that keep us confined in a circle of friends that fit our own perceived stereotypes. These barriers also keep out the experiences of being exposed to everything else the world has to offer. Scientist say people create their perception of you within seconds of meeting you. How fair is that? When I realized how much of my life was governed by stereotypes I could not stand to continue to live in that manner. Until I recognized that I was conditioned to think in a certain way, I never saw the fabrication in the whole situation. I have stereotyped and have been the victim of stereotyping. I know the power and influence that these negative presumptions have had on my thoughts. Although I’ve been guilty of this behavior in the past, my own faults have helped me to understand that before you make a judgment about anything you have to look deeper than the surface.

As a kid, I remember being in school, sitting in lunch having a conversation with friends. I unknowingly called an Asian boy the “karate kid”. The look he shot back to me let me know that he was deeply hurt by what I had just said to him. I realized that there was something wrong with what I said. I did not know how much of a role stereotypes played on me. When I reflect on the situation, I see that these false perceptions that I had of Asians was totally wrong. It led me to be judgmental of a person before actually knowing that person. It took me a long time to see that the same generalizations that I made concerning others are the same generalizations that I made about myself which in turn, led to my own feelings of insecurity. Now, I do not judge people just by what their wearing their ethnicity or.

The main stereotype that I am confronted with nowadays is what I call the “athletic assumption”. People look at my tall stature and automatically ask “What team do you play for?” If they were to meet me on the court they would soon