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| Thread: Stereotypes are BAD | |
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Setitetart
Known Hero
Reality check....
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posted July 22, 2007 05:54 AM |
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Stereotypes are BAD
Something I wanted to share with you…
A friend, my husband David and I were lounging around last Friday night, the boys were playing their games (Heroes), and I was going over my thoughts for the day and writing.
I had read a news article earlier that day detailing a study that claims playing video games IMPROVES your eyesight.
So, as I am sitting there writing I pipe up to the guys and relay the meat of that article to them…
I am met with giggles.
Both the gamers laugh.
Keep in mind BOTH the boys wear glasses. LOL
David: {Laughs} No. Maybe hand eye coordination improves, but not eyesight.
My husband has HORRIBLE eyesight. He would be the first person to tell you that without his glasses everything is pretty much a fuzzy blob to him.
David: Haha…If that were the case…I'd be a HAWKEYE!!!!
All of us had a good round of laughs off that comment, but David kept us going with another comical outburst.
David: Hey! There's some woman getting attacked….IN CALIFORNIA!!
QUICK TAY!!! CALL THE COPS!!!!
David groans audibly and says in a bitter tone….
"It's a filthy lie."
Humorously enough, David is right.
For as long as HE has played games, he should have better than perfect vision by now.
So I am sitting there and playing with the thoughts…
Why is your stereotypical geek/gamer/nerd always described as having glasses?
Big. Thick. Coke-bottle glasses.
With a band-aid holding the frame together.
And a big pocket protector.
You know what I am talking about.
The quintessential brainiac.
Do I get by with reading glasses because I am only a half assed gamer?
How about people with contacts?
Are they closet gamers/geeks?
{Laughs}
I know…I am just being silly.
That article tickled me, even more so after David's reaction to it.
I was in need of a good laugh after the week we'd had.
But after I got a giggle out of it though, I started to think about all the stereotypes out there.
The preconceived notions about who, or how a person is supposed to be, based solely on their appearance.
Judging books by their covers.
Mea Culpa.
I have done it to people, and in turn, had it done back to me.
Maybe that is what did it for me.
Being in turn judged, usually unfairly.
The feeling of utter frustration, bitterness, knowing that people had not even taken the time to get to know me, much less talked to me, before casting the stone.
Dismissing me.
Years ago, I was a waify type person.
I didn't say a whole lot.
I was an exotic dancer.
As far as some were concerned, I was not smart, probably mute, and I was a snow to boot.
Was I?
No, no…and HELL NO.
You start to think about all the things you have been labeled through the years.
All of the notions, and the rumors about you because you were a jock, or a cheerleader, or a dancer, shy, or someone who was overweight.
Think about it.
Why do people feel the need to compartmentalize every thing and everyone?
Why can't we just BE?
I know why I personally made assumptions about people years ago…even up to present time.
I was terrified of getting to know anyone, and when people told me things about others, who the hell was I to challenge it?
Obviously they knew something about the person and I didn't.
At that point I didn't just go up to people and flat out ask questions.
I DO now.
I was told once that all tattooed and pierced people were just not right.
Violent even.
NOT friend material, and those people certainly weren't smart to go putting holes and ink all over their bodies.
Funny enough, years later I met a guy who not only had piercings (including a 00 gauge bullring through his nose), but tattoos as well.
And built to boot.
By judging on his looks alone you wouldn't have known that he is a literal computer GOD.
He wrote many of the start up programs for Gateway back in the day, and gets excited talking about RAM.
He can actually call himself an engineer and has the paper to prove it.
Probably one of the most intelligent, eloquent, and sincere people I have ever met.
It is an honor to be able to call him my friend.
Coincidentally, he does NOT wear glasses.
{Laughs}
But anyway…
That is just one instance, one example of exactly WHY you should never judge people by their appearance, or their perceived stereotype.
Because:
Not all Goths are morbid.
Not all Jocks are small.
Not all Cheerleaders are snows.
Not all blondes are stupid.
Not all gun owners are rednecks.
The list could go on and on….
We could all get along better if we had some acceptance of each other, instead of trying to stuff everyone in a labeled cubbyhole.
Who REALLY cares if you are Black or Asian or blond or play sports or have long hair or are short or wear glasses?
I care if you treat me with due respect, and are a decent person.
I want to know YOU for YOU, for the amazing things you say or do…
not for how you look or what other people think of you…
I want to know the imperfect…real YOU.
Just saying.
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"Do you think we should drive a stake through his heart, just in case?"
~ Peter Lorre to Vincent Price at Bela Lugosi's funeral
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Nidhgrin
Honorable
Famous Hero
baking cookies from stardust
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posted July 23, 2007 08:42 PM |
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I guess we put things, people and situations into boxes all of the time. Probably this has to do with how we process information and link it to things we already know, making connections with bigger wholes.
Maybe you can compare it with how a search engine spider tags webpages with certain words, in order to 'remember' how to look them up, when necessary. I'm not an expert in this area, but that's how it appears to me.
Since a vast part of the information we get to process is visual data, I assume that's why many people judge others by their appearance (in no more than a few seconds of time). In prehistoric times this was probably vital for survival... something looking somewhat like a lion, but not quite the same, might still be very dangerous.
Depending on how much time and energy you want to invest into really getting to know other people, open mindedness towards other ideas or ways and perhaps how adventurous you are, you stick to that initial judgment or 'take the risk' to form a new judgment.
Just some thoughts...
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bixie
Promising
Legendary Hero
my common sense is tingling!
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posted July 23, 2007 09:02 PM |
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Quote:
Not all Goths are morbid.
a few of my friend would agree with that... why? their goths.
yes, stereotyping is wrong, but the human mind feels safer in a group. that group gets known, has a particular type of dress sense and hair style. sooner or later, everyone recognises them as something, like "Oh, Chav, your moms a slag!" or "Stay the hell away from her, she's a goth, and will perform some satanic ritual on your nuts." all of which is completely false.
Quote:
Not all Cheerleaders are snows.
damn
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Love, Laugh, Learn, Live.
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Aculias
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
Pretty Boy Angel Sacraficer
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posted July 23, 2007 09:04 PM |
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Sometimes I do like the Inttelegent glasses kind of....oh nm I was thinking about........ Alfred hitchcock presents yea thats it 
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Dreaming of a Better World
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