In the readings, people show how words can make others seem different. Like in Binyavanga Wainaina's story where he tells about how people see Africa. He points out how they often talk about poverty, wild animals. It's like making fun of how people see Africa in a limited way.

Horace Miner does a similar thing in his story. He talks about American habits in a strange way, making them seem exotic like they're from another planet. It's meant to show how people can make anything seem weird if they talk about it in a certain way.

In TEDTalks by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chimene Bart-Williams, they talk about how stories shape our ideas. Adichie says hearing only one story about a place or person isn't fair. Bart-Williams says we need to change how we talk about things to be more inclusive.

I realize I might have some preconceived notions too. Sometimes I might think certain groups are all the same, which isn't true. Other times, I might believe in stereotypes, like thinking all people from a certain place are good at one thing or bad at another.

It's important to remember that everyone is different, and we shouldn't judge based on what we think we know. By learning more about different cultures and perspectives, we can understand each other better and break down harmful stereotypes.