Two Types of Stereotypers

Confronting stereotypes has been a recurring topic that I've talked about several times.

Well, besides the stereotypes themselves, what's often left out from the subject are the stereotypers, a.k.a the people, who in my opinion are more responsible for the stereotype they ascribe to, as they help aid in its perpetuation.

In my personal experiences I've encountered two types of stereotypers—the ones who are willfully insecure, and the ones who are actually or unintentionally ignorant.

When confronting stereotypes, I've mostly noticed these two reactions. The first example is the stereotyper who decides to box you into a character based off assumptions they've formed and/or accepted—these people are insecure. Another example, is the stereotyper who boxes you into a stereotype and may backtrack what they've said or assumed, or try to make attempts to fix error and is embarrassed—they are simply ignorant, likely due to limited interaction, or frequent and erroneous interactions with certain people. 

Nonetheless, both types of people are tiring to deal with however, and neither is more better than the other—there is no lesser evil. Stereotypes are dehumanizing. It goes without saying that having to combat them and explain your humanity to anyone is stressful, exhausting, and will likely negatively impact your future interactions with other people who exhibit the same attitudes. 

Still, it also exposes how and why these people choose to stereotype in the first place, and opens up another discussion about privilege. Because....privileged people usually can, ascribe to, and participate and perpetuate stereotypes, while also avoiding the consequences of its harm. In many cases, they are unaffected by stereotypes that would negatively harm them, compared to lesser privileged groups that are heavily impacted socially by how people view them. This doesn't negate that underprivileged groups can't share the same misconceptions about groups who equally have harmful stereotypes.

But when I say insecure, it sounds vague but it's pretty simple. I find that the people who easily believe and use stereotypes about certain groups tend to not only believe them, but hold them dear for reasons. Typically they'll have these stereotypes pre-loaded and ready to dispense on people they want to attack or put in place. These stereotypes are stacked like a deck of cards, and it's holder will play a card, always pulling out stereotype after another, in an attempt to 'read' you. One can only wonder why. Although these stereotypes are not specifically targeted at them, it contributes in reassuring their confidence. This is what I've come to conclude based on how I've witnessed these attitudes play into action towards me.

When someone's self-worth is dependent on the degradation of another via stereotypes they will use those stereotypes to prop themselves up. In the same instance, that person will be ineffective without that crutch. It's in this moment, their reaction is crucial because it certifies their insecurity. I have watched people become upset, angered, disappointed, and in disbelief, when I did not fit a preconceived notion they designated to me. It's troubling, disturbing, but mostly pathetic, that rather than correcting themselves, the response is doubt.

What's also telling is why they choose to expect certain characteristics from the people they're stereotyping. To be so comfortable throwing people into specified expectations, whether you think they're good stereotypes or not, is intolerant and unreasonable. Again, this exposes the temperament of the stereotyper. Why are they so set in their beliefs, particularly when it's not affecting them? OR does it?

Below are a few questions to help posit where this attitude may come from; the insecure stereotyper will say yes to at least one of these or all:

• Were you propped up to believe you were better than certain people in specificity? 
• Does your confidence spike when people meet your stereotypical expectations? 
• Do you feel threatened or vexed when someone doesn't fit your stereotypes?
• Do you rely on negative stereotypes to advance yourself over others?
• Do you feel discounted when stereotyped people empower themselves?

As for those who are (possibly) unintentionally ignorant, they too can fall into the insecure category, but since their reactions tend to vary from the first, it's not the same. I've met people who were truly embarrassed by the stereotypes they've labeled onto someone. Some become shocked and correct themselves accordingly. There are even folks that ignorantly base their assumptions via confirmation from another person—likely a member of that stereotyped group. In this instance the may resort to the attitude of the insecure stereotyper, because they feel their expectations hold more weight because it came from the horses mouth. In addition to that, they may have also based their assumptions on what they've seen. If someone is presented with a continuous observation, it wouldn't be surprising if they believed what they see to be true. But this is flawed because no one person(s) will ever represent a large demographic group—but it happens all the time.

Stereotypes are harmful—they misinform and justify mistreatment of people who have no control over their existence and presence of these stereotypes. This is also why it's counterproductive to blame people for stereotypes or deriding people for not defying them. It's a daily task for me to acknowledge my own perceptions at times and keep my mouth shut when I know I'm also misinformed. No one can say they have never assumed something about someone, but don't act like you didn't have the power to change your thinking. Ask yourself why are you stereotyping, and whether it matters to your humanity? In my experiences, a lot of stereotypes placed onto me have been reflective of what people see on TV. If your only perception of certain people is through television, and you expect people you meet to be the same way, give yourself a huge slap in the face for being a narrow-minded idiot. Although the power of American media can't be underestimated, those who drink the kool-aid instead of challenging what they see or hear are responsible for why these stereotypes continue to exist; not the stereotyped.