El-zaan Palm; 50646508

People often deny that they are actively stereotyping individuals when they are called out on their actions. Stereotyping could be that girls are more manipulative when getting something that they want or another could be that men are more direct with their conversations because they see it as a waste of time to soften a blow. Why try to sugarcoat when you can say it to them straight. 

I often forget that something as small as commenting on something someone does or the way they act could easily mean that I am placing them in "boxes" and that I am unfairly stereotyping them because I do no personally know them or their background. Stereotyping could either be positive or negative. The most common one that I often catch myself doing is the latter, as it is easier and quicker to rather see the negative than the positive in someone. One of the most common ones that seems to rise above all the other ones recently is that the students who answer almost all the questions are the "nerds" of the group or the ones seeking academic validation. 

It isn't always that easy to positively stereotype individuals or groups, as it is often harder to do because the more dominant aspects tend to be negative. When reflecting on my own assumptions and understandings I now come to the realization that it creates a form of "otherness" amongst everyone as some people might see it in the same light.

Upon further reflection I have also seen that more of my views on individuals fall under the negative form of stereotyping and it is rather unfair against them. People need to start viewing others differently than to what they first think and see before they get to truly know them.