Intolerance And Stereotyping Grrr...

[ZerudaHime 0]

Ok, I cannot stand intolerant people! Or people who treat you differently based on stereotypes. I hate it how people can't just respect someone based on what they do, like, look like, etc. Like some people, who I graciously won't mention, hate people who play video games a lot. What is wrong with me liking video games? You may not be specifically targeting me, but why can't I like video games without someone saying, "Go outside, get a life!" I do have a life and I do go outside. I spend plenty of time with my friends and I love to go outside and ride bikes with my little brother. But some people think that just because a person likes video games a lot, that they are pale, geeks, have no friends, and never do anything except play games. STOP STEREOTYPING!!! You may not like the fact that I play video games very much or like video games, but don't call me something I'm not just because of an interest that I happen to have. Oh and those people who can't stand homosexual people, they get on my last nerves too. No, I'm not a homosexual, but I do think that it's wrong of people to think that just because a person is homosexual, that this means that their rights should be taken away from them. That is no excuse to do something like that. It's just like racism back in the day where other races were treated horribly just because they were different. Last time I checked, that's illegal. It's not much different with homosexual people. This behavior just reflects the ignorance of the person. Sure, you may believe that it's not right, but is that reallly reason enough to treat someone like dirt or deny them something that they deserve like everyone on earth does?And then the stereotypes. Why, just because someone's black, a person assumes that he/she: a)lived/s in the ghetto, b)talks ghetto, c)likes rap or d)is going to rob them? And this goes with other things to like all East Asians are smart and speak crappy English, all Jewish people are rich and smart, or all Central Asians (Indian, Pakistani, etc.) are going to blow up the next plane they get on. and so on. WE ARE ALL PEOPLE! Just because we're different from one another doesn't mean that we all act a certain way or think a certain way. The truth is that SOME black people haved lived in the ghetto, SOME East Asians are smart, SOME Jewish people are rich, SOME Central Asians have blown up a plane. But NOT ALL. That's the problem with stereotyping someone. You won't get to know them as well as you could because what you see at the beginning. Or you might offend someone by saying some stereotypical comment. So don't go up to a Japanese person and start firing off questions about anime, ninjas, hara kiri (stomach cutting), samurai, or sumo wrestlers. If this would just disappear from the world it would be a much better place. But that won't happen, and the most someone can do is just keep an open mind and see things from the other person's point of view. I know that's said A LOT, but it's true and it does help people get along with each other better. Ok. I'm done ranting and I feel MUCH better.

[FuChelle 0]

Very well said! I agree with you 100%!!I know many people, one in particular, who sterotype people just on their interests and tastes, and it's very sad. Somehow they just think that everything that they think and do is right, and anyone who doesn't agree, or does something differently is stupid and wrong.I wish people would start looking at peoples' personalities instead of what they look like, or what they're interested in.

[Neutrality 0]

Well said. I agree that there is way too much prejudice, stereotyping, racism, and bias in the world. People have become very shallow nowadays. You're automatically labelled to be a certain person based on your nationality and origins.That's very ignorant and very stereotypical. Of course you'll get some people who do fit the stereotype, but I don't the whole race of people or group of people will fit the description to a tee. "Painting everyone with the same brush" happens far too often these days.I don't care if people do play video games either. They can do whatever they want with their lives. It's their choice. But no, not every person who plays video games is a geek. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Many people of all ages and all statuses play video games. Video games are not made for "geeks" only. But I'll have to admit, there are a few people I know that do play online games for a long time [8-10 hours a day including at school ].And about Homosexuals. I'd be the first to admit that I don't agree with how they live and how they go about doing it. However, I wouldn't treat that type of person any different than any other human being. Mind you, I wouldn't give them any preferential treatment either, but I'll treat them like any human should be treated. I also wouldn't condemn them. Like I said, I wouldn't agree with what they're doing but there wouldn't be any hard feelings.

[dontmaimyourself 0]

Well I think that althought this is unquestionably condamned by most people, those same people are also guilty of it, now I'm not accusing you or any of the good people here at Xisto, I am simply mentioning that this is (unfortunatley) very common in the society we live in, and is a product of that very same society. I am also not trying to deffend intolerance of any kind as I find it degrading (for both parties), and to be honest it does not do anyone any good. I especially as you do hate it when a very small minority of a certain group does something and certain ignorant people think that the entire group does it. As for people not liking you because you play video games I'm not even going to comment on that level of juvanile Idiocity (Ok so that may be a made up word, so sue me (dont really)). well anyway I completely agree with you.

[emachinest3256 0]

You forgot Texans. Everyone thinks we own ranches, cattle, horses, oil fields, and a bunch of other stuff. Not to mention everyone thinks Texas is still the wild west.

[icemarle 0]

What is wrong with me liking video games? You may not be specifically targeting me, but why can't I like video games without someone saying, "Go outside, get a life!" I do have a life and I do go outside. I spend plenty of time with my friends and I love to go outside and ride bikes with my little brother. But some people think that just because a person likes video games a lot, that they are pale, geeks, have no friends, and never do anything except play games. STOP STEREOTYPING!!! You may not like the fact that I play video games very much or like video games, but don't call me something I'm not just because of an interest that I happen to have.

Grrr.... I happen to be a big Videogaming person myself, and I'm scared of mentioning that to my friends, because they might think just that. I have a life as well, and just because I like Videogames doesn't mean that people should think that we're geeks stuck to the gaming console.

About the one about Asians, I'm one myself, and hey, these stereo-typing only occurs because people don't know enough about us. I mean they don't live here, so they base what they know about us in the media, and treat us in that way. Hey, I might live in Asia, but I speak straight English with different accents. I can speak to an American with an American accent, or a British accent, and even a Singaporean accent, etc. I hate stero-typing about cultures the most.

Same there. Most people here "stereo-type" Americans being ALL RICH and have great respect for them. When they see something here that's "Made in USA" or something similar, they immediately brand it as The BEST quality.

[Cammy 0]

The more we educate ourselves and talk about prejudice the better things will be. A lot of it comes from fear and ignorance and lack of exposure to groups of people. So take some time to get to know someone from a different country, their music, religion, language... You may be surprised to know how much more you have in common with them than not.

[AbstracT 0]

I hate when people see me in a pair of baggy keans and a white T the first thing they think of or say 'He's a thug'..Where the hell they get that from? Sometimes I feel lazy and dress down. Since I'm wearing baggy jeans I must be a thug..When did clothes determine the type of person I am..Hell I make darn good grades and what..I wear baggy jeans and white T that doesn't make me a thug at all. Thug is a mentally, it's a mindset. It's not clothes. Clothes doesn't have a personality, it doesn't have a heart beat.

[Puck_4004 0]

If anyone wants a perfect example of stereotyping then check out the topic "Women" in the vent, it's stupid.

[alexworrall 0]

ye i really agree wid that man . i have been streo typed all the time for being a wat i am and i had enuf and gave in i feelin that

[mzwebfreak 0]

The biggest problem I have is the difference in people from where I grew up near Washington DC and where I live now in Tampa Florida. Where I grew up, I was the white minority and I learned how to be color blind and not judge people simply because they happened to be darker than me. Well, I move down here (initially for school) and, though at college everybody was treated equally, I really have a problem with one of the girls I work with now. I mean, I understand you may not like blacks, but there was this one time where this black guy had tipped her good on stage and she went, thanked him, and then walked over and started talking to this other kid. Well, I wasn't sure if she was finished talking to him, so I went over and asked if she was going to get a dance from the guy, and she sits there and tells me "Oh, I don't dance for them." WTF?!? I'm sorry, but up to that point, I'd thought she was a nice girl. Guess not.

 

But, to return to the original topic at hand, I agree that those people who feel that sterotyping people is okay are either ignorant or stupid, or have some reason why they "can't" like those kind of people.

[SuburbanalCuts 0]

i used to stereotype for real stupid things like if someone wasn't vegetarian I would think they were mean and stuff. Kind of dumb.kids on my bus scream at hasidics and stuff, its evil. Some of them tell stories about how they threw rocks at Hasidics walking by. And tons of people in my school make fun of mexicans too, for no reason.

[Joshua 0]

I think a lot of this has to do with how we size up people we see. We feel more comfortable I think when we feel we can place people in a box. It can be almost a matter of pride to size up someone and feel we know what they are or are not capable of. I think we need to realize that each person is unique and that there is no one-size-fits-all way of treating or reacting to people. Maybe it also has to do with our nature trying to group people so that we can act accordingly depending on what we think we know about them. I think the average person uses many facades or fronts and depending on which people they are around, they are seen differently. When we reach the point where all people around us see us relatively the same then we can know we are no longer stereotyping and treating all equally indeed. I think that that in itself is a tough goal to reach, and something rarely achieved.