Generalizations, why do people use them?

Question

Such as: Why do Atheists hate Christians? Why do Christians think they are better than everyone else? Why are Americans money hungry?

I made these up, but do you get the point?

I hear and see generalities used everyday. Is this due to ignorance, laziness,...or do they actually believe what they are saying?

Why would somebody say all, when all is nearly ever correct?

Generalizations, why do some people use them?

I had to correct myself, thx.

Answer 1

Because it is easier to see bad all in one side and good only in one's own field.

Answer 2

Regardless of what type of generalizations you are referring to: racisms, sexism, etc... we have to examine that there is a Ying-Yang in the universe. A balance must be made. You can examine this in Good/Bad - Day/Night - Fire/Water - Man/Woman..

Because there are so many opposites there will be those who oppose the opposites and criticize what they don't understand. It requires both compassion, and patience to see that without one there won't be the other. If everyone believed in God then there wouldn't be those who didn't.. I see alot of people stating that they believe that Christians think that they are better then anyone else. That statement in itself is a generalization. NOT all Christians are that way. Christians aren't perfect, they realize that they are simply forgiven. You made another generalizations about Americans - NOT all of "Americans" are "money-hungry". They may be hungry cause they don't have any money.
If we go through life putting a generalizations or a classification on people based on their difference(s) then we show how ignorant we really are. Broaden your mind and walk the life the way they do..

Answer 3

What is a generalization? Merriam-Webster defines a generalization as follows: 1) a general statement, law, principle, or proposition. 2) the act or process whereby a learned response is made to a stimulus similar to but not identical with the conditioned stimulus. Thus generalizations are an essential part of learning and living. Without them wise living is impossible.

Answer 4

"Christians think they are better than everyone else?"
After seeing most of the answers in R&S..I have to kind of agree.. =l
It seems like you can't answer one single question without someone telling you you're going to hell just because you aren't christian.

Anyway, I consider generalizations and sterotypes like the same thing. This is the simplest way I can put it: Some people have had bad experiences, others are narrow-minded. I wouldn't say it's due to laziness, but more of ignorance as they can't open up their minds to see that not everything is that way..

Answer 5

Yeah, I hate generalizations too.

Christians really do not hate anyone. (Except for the sadly misled people at the Westbury Baptist church, with Mr. Fred as their leader...They hate everybody..and we don't claim them.)

Saved Christians do not think they are better than everyone
else, we are sinners like everyone else.

I really don't think Athiests are haters either...they, or perhaps some are just looking for straight answers.

Some people use generalizations because that is how they actually feel about...themselves.

Answer 6

As someone pointed out, didn't you yourself use generalisation ?
Why? Because it's easy.
It's always easier to classify something as either completely good or completely bad. Because if something was just half-bad then its goodness will be considered over by the badness. But if that is so, then why is it half-bad? If the badness is considered over goodness, then why is it only half-bad? It will make people think for reasons to classify things otherwise.
I hope you get what I mean.
Humans have a tendancy of generalising things instead of specifying.

Answer 7

Generalisations are like stereotypes, it's a lazy and also in some 'observations' a ignorant way of classifying/attacking a group of people like in the athiests/christian examples you gave
Some people do believe what they are saying though like the bigots do when they make generalisations/stereotypes

Answer 8

Some actually believe what they are saying. Others are ignorant and dont understand. Still others are determined that they are right so when they see someone in their opposing group who could be considered right they immediately make a generalisation to dismiss this in their own minds.

Answer 9

it is becos, it make ppl make decision easier.
our brain have 3 filter call delusion, generalization and distortion.
what we deulsed, generalizated and distrot become what is our reality.

brain have to handle 2 million of information from our 5 senses every second. if the our don't have this filter, our brain is going to burst.

Generalization use by our brain to to allow us to understand thing easily. for example, where you see a chair, you know it is a chair. not matter what is the design or colour of the chair, you still group it as a chair. that is generalization.

another 2 i shall not explain it as you only ask for the generalization part.

Answer 10

Most is ignorance. Lots of people just don't think in mathematical terms, and don't realize how many times they are "lying" every day, by saying these generalizations.

Some is prejudice. People see two or three examples of something and then genuinely believe that all people of that type do that behavior. They just don't know anything about statistics and sampling and anecdotal data.

Answer 11

People prefer the forests to the trees. They can handle the forests because there are relatively few of them. And there are so many trees, all different. Whoooaa too much for my little mind.

Forests are generalised masses of blur as seen from a distance - no detail.