Why do people automatically sterotype people?

Question

examples: if someone plays football that automatically makes them a jock, if someone's in band that makes them a geek, a member of the chess club a nerd ect.

same thing with how people dress: how a woman dresses: "she's easy" cuz she dresses trashy

Answer 1

Stereotypes are created for a reason.

If most blondes weren't ditzy, they wouldn't be stereotyped like that.

If most trashy dressers weren't easy skanks, they wouldn't be stereotyped like that.

How many chess club members have you ever met that were "cool"? How many jocks were "nerds"?

Answer 2

Well, what the hell would you call someone who plays football then? I don't see how someone being in the school band would make them a geek, nor being a member of the chess club a nerd. Nerds are reserved for Rod and Todd Flanders, Martin Prince, Milhouse, that kid that says "this is the life we chose!" and sci-fi fans such as myself.

Answer 3

we live in a world of generalities, it's just the way it is. Most football players are jocks. Most band members are geeks. Most members of the chess club are nerds.

Answer 4

It is part of our psychology. Even those who are enlightened have simply learned to over-ride their immediate response with a learned cognitive response.

Our brain lumps information so it can more readily make it available for use. When we knew how to live in the world without devouring it everyday, we could recognize geographical, vegetation and animation data immediately by size, shape, color, location, and smell...this information would be good enough until it was more closely (and cautiously) examined (i.e. taking a closer look at a coiled snake startling you...you ran away because of instinct -stereotype-- but you came back and realized you were mistaken and the snake is harmless...at least this time it was.)

We have taken this into our social arena...We lump people together because people lump themselves together. It is then easier for us to function without being inundated with information about all the glorious differences around us...we are able to focus on those most closely important to us...

Unfortunately many have never learned to move passed the social grouping and destructive stereo-typing many use to hide their own insecurities....they have not learned to move passed their initial feelings and pay attention.

It is simply a matter of individual desire to learn and accept others...without education and empathy, people will always stereotype.

you also have to admit...stereotypes wouldn't be so strong with people (especially cliques) if there wasn't so many individuals blithley and happily filling the stereotype to the fullest degree.

Answer 5

Ever heard Chapelle's joke: "Just because I'm dressed in this uniform does not make me a police officer".
Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck.
While I admit that this may not always be the case, people are often comfortable in their stereotyped style, and often proudly refer to themselves as such. Anyone overly offended should consider the reasons they dislike it and change something about themselves. It is easier to change yourself than expect others to change.

Answer 6

It seems younger people make this type of stereotyping. I've never met someone older then 25 make these assumptions. FYI geeks are better then jocks when they grow up!

Answer 7

People want to know everyone in the world without even talking to them, thus, stereotypes were invented. Basically, they were invented out of humans' laziness.

Answer 8

Because it's human nature to find patterns, it makes life easier. Only more mature or educated people have an easy time looking past thos superficialities.

Answer 9

Not all people do this.

Answer 10

Because those stereotypes apply.