This is a continuation of a previous post. You can read the first part here ---> Feeding Into Stereotypes Part 1
It seemed this man was expecting me to react in a particular way that someone had previously informed him African women behave. He would say something, pause for a response and when it didn’t come out like he thought, he would go somewhere else. It got me thinking. Who has this loser been talking to, what has he been reading and what has he been watching? For someone who had never set foot anywhere near Africa, he seemed to have a very set predetermined opinion about the continent. It irritated the heck out of me.
Why do people like feeding into stereotypes? I wouldn’t meet a Somalian and ask if his/her brother is a pirate or if they know a pirate? I wouldn’t meet a Colombian and ask if his/her family is in the drug business. Just because a couple of people from somewhere act a certain way, doesn’t mean all the million plus people from the place act the exact same way. Feeding into stereotypes highlights how ignorant, and frankly quite stupid, a person is and how enslaved they are in their own mind.
Free your mind. Learn people. Learn cultures. Travel and never believe anything you see in a movie, magazine or the media. Go out into the world and learn about it yourself and stop asking people who are virtually strangers’ asinine questions just because you saw something on CNN three months ago.
The last two posts was sort of a rant. I don’t like to discuss politics, race or religion but sometimes, you just have to make some comments when you come across really ignorant people. Nevertheless, rant over! :)
I am mulling something over in my mind now about my past and I will blog about it tomorrow.
Why do people like feeding into stereotypes? I wouldn’t meet a Somalian and ask if his/her brother is a pirate or if they know a pirate? I wouldn’t meet a Colombian and ask if his/her family is in the drug business. Just because a couple of people from somewhere act a certain way, doesn’t mean all the million plus people from the place act the exact same way. Feeding into stereotypes highlights how ignorant, and frankly quite stupid, a person is and how enslaved they are in their own mind.
Free your mind. Learn people. Learn cultures. Travel and never believe anything you see in a movie, magazine or the media. Go out into the world and learn about it yourself and stop asking people who are virtually strangers’ asinine questions just because you saw something on CNN three months ago.
The last two posts was sort of a rant. I don’t like to discuss politics, race or religion but sometimes, you just have to make some comments when you come across really ignorant people. Nevertheless, rant over! :)
I am mulling something over in my mind now about my past and I will blog about it tomorrow.
2 comments:
stereotypes help people reject changes instead of accept it. It deludes them into call black white and it is a sad situation! And if you can see how easy pple fall into this.
Yes it is indeed very sad. I am appalled at how readily people believe the nonsense in the media but I believe for everyone 1 ignorant person like this, there are 20 more people like you and me.
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