Why is this world full of sterotypes?

Question

Why do all Muslims have to be terrorists?
Why are all Mexicans illegal?
Why do all Black's have to eat fried chicken?
Why is it that the Western world hates every Muslim and blames Islam for the stupidity of 19 people?

Answer 1

It is much easier to put people in various categories and not to bother to know them individually. Moreover, people are afraid of what they do not know, they are afraid of the "other" on to whom they beset all negative things that they actually are, but they'd rather deny.
It's really a complex psychological thing.

Answer 2

Because sadly people live up to it.

All Muslims do not have to be terrorists, but all of them are crying that people think they are.

Not all Mexicans are illegal, but there are many trying to sneak across the border ruining it for the others.

Blacks don't have to eat fried chicken, they just do. Whites eat it as well.

The western world hates most Muslims and blames them Islam for the stupidity of more than 19 people because if you do not convert to Islam then it is cause for your death, suicide bombers, our family over there dying in some pointless war, and most Muslims enjoy crying that they are being picked on and people think they are terrorists. Also, they've never caught a white/black/etc person sneaking parts of a bomb anywhere... unfortunately the same can not be said for everyone.

I say most, because it is not everyone and that is also common knowledge.

OH also, the media. The media FEEDS on creating stereotypes and prejudice.

Answer 3

By your very question you have proved that not all are the same !

Generality does not mean all

Every question has a time, space or place context.

Mexicans are illegal only with reference to migration to the USA
But not all Mexicans are in the USA
Nor are all Mexicans in the USA illegal
What about Mexicans in Mexico ?

You have to understand the context in which ALL is being used.

The same reasoning is applicable to your other statements as well !!

Answer 4

Because human beings are wired to think in shorthand, operating on very simplified systems for decision-making.

"Strangers bad." is one of the most basic of them.

There are times when deliberate careful thought is just not a survival characteristic, and reflexes are more important.

Our ancestor who waited to see exactly what sort of big thing with teeth was approaching him probably didn't survive to become our ancestor. The one that operated on simple stereotypes had a better chance.

And we're left with those systems in our brains, even if human society is now too complex and varied for those to be very helpful a lot of the time.

There are other factors, notably the mass media and their assessment of what makes news. They report the exception, not the rule, but that brings the exception to prominence without, usually, any balancing reportage.