Why we should let go of our stereotypes

June 28, 2023

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all hold a particular view about someone, or a group of people which affects how we interact and perceive them.

Most often, these come from ‘stereotypes’ which are defined as “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.”

Picture this: in the Western world, most Africans are painted as being underprivileged or uneducated. So if any well-educated Nigerian travels abroad they are met with comments like ‘you speak such good English’!

Now such comments are unfounded because clearly not all Africans are like that. There are millions of educated Nigerians who most certainly can speak English well.

Being a victim to stereotyping is belittling because most of what is thought about the recipient of the stereotype is not true and based on flimsy evidence and lack of exposure.

Before commenting on these people, take a look at your own stereotyping of people. All of us are prejudiced against a certain group, whether we mean to or not.

However, the problem with stereotypes is they are oversimplified — they give everyone who is in a certain group the same one-dimensional personality.

But no two people act the same way. Humans are complex beings so, they can’t be put in a certain group and told to act a certain way.

Another thing about stereotypes is that they are fixed (as the definition above states). The fact that stereotypes are fixed again proves how they cannot be used as a basis of judging people. No one can stay the same way forever. People mature and experiences shape who a person becomes. People of the same race or social class all have different life experiences, so to say that all Latinos are drug dealers, or all upper class Nigerians are spoiled is unjustified.

The main reason stereotypes seem to be so dominant and prevalent in the society today is that they have been proven time and time again to be true, and people are not willing to try something new, or accept a new idea because, to be honest, change is scary.

It is safer to go with the stereotype that all young people are not willing to work hard than to give a position of power to a young person and risk failure.

However, if you as a person can be less judgmental and willing to give people a chance to prove who they truly are, you may see that sometimes the majority view is not always right.