Why we label people and what it leads to
Miscellaneous / / May 19, 2021
Thinking in stereotypes is convenient, but it leads to intolerance, hostility, and missed opportunities.
This article is part of the project “One on one». In it we talk about relationships with ourselves and others. If the topic is close to you, share your story or opinion in the comments. Will wait!
If a believer, then a blinkered conservative. If he has a higher education and a decent profession, then he is a reasonable person who is worth listening to. If the artist is obviously a slacker and a drunkard. If a mother with many children, then a beggar beggar. If a vegetarian - how to drink to give, a sectarian.
As soon as we get at least a little information about a person, we immediately draw conclusions - most often more than superficial ones. We attach a piece of paper with a verdict to this person and mentally put it on the shelf according to the received article.
We figure out why people do this, where it can lead and how to abandon templates.
Why We Judge People By Cover
It's part of human nature
The division of people, things and phenomena into categories is natural and, as they say,The origins of social categorization scientists, an automatic process that we begin to master in childhood. That's what it's called: categorization. This property of human thinking helps us navigate a complex, confusing and unpredictable world, makes it a little more understandable, saves time and effort.
You see a mushroom with specks - it means that it is poisonous, do not eat it. If you see a migrant from some southern republic, it means that he is an uneducated savage, go around him by the tenth road and grumble that they have “come in large numbers”. The label implies that we do not need to think for a long time, build complex logical chains, doubt, look for solutions, try to get to know a person and evaluate him objectively.
Anastasia Bakhtina
Psychologist, PhD in Psychology, Research Fellow and Lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, author of scientific articles and a textbook on psychology, founder of the EdTech project InMind.
Stereotyping allows the brain to make quick decisions based on patterns, labels, and past experiences. When we see a woman with blonde hair, the conclusion about her intellectual abilities suggests itself on the basis of a stereotype. At the same time, the brain does not want to understand that a stranger may have a scientific degree, and find out other subtleties. This approach significantly narrows our horizons and communication abilities.
This is a cognitive error.
For example, a distortion in favor of our group, due to which we divide people into ours and strangers, and ours seem to us smarter, more beautiful and generally better. The illusion of homogeneity of our group may also arise - when we believe that everyone who is with us on the same wavelength is arranged approximately the same.
If I am a conservative, then other conservatives are reasonable people who say the right things. And the liberals are just clowns who want to destroy the country. If I am a careerist, it means that working women are responsible, strong, slender and literate, and housewives with children are stupid fat bugs.
Understand🧠
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This is the influence of the majority
Scientists conducted a study and found outAre Attitudes Contagious? Exposure to Biased Nonverbal Signals Can Create Novel Social Attitudes a curious thing. If it seems to us that others do not treat a person very well, we also begin to think negatively about him and unconsciously avoid him. And it's not just rumors or an openly negative opinion that hasn't been expressed. Sometimes it is enough just sidelong glances, lowered corners of the lips and other elements of facial expressions that signal disapproval - and that's all: it already seems to us that something is wrong with the person, we put the stigma of the enemy on him and relate to him worse.
This is the result of parenting
If in a family it is customary to clearly divide people into groups, ascribe stereotypical qualities to them and build relationships with them, relying on a certain label, then the child is likely to learn this habit. And in adulthood it will act the same way and consider it something natural.
What shortcuts lead to
We support stereotypes
And some of them are far from harmless. The most striking and classic example is racial prejudice. For hundreds of years, white people have loved to reason.The Historical Perspectives of Stereotypes on African-American Males that representatives of other races, in particular people of African descent, are not like that. Say, more stupid than the Europeans.
Or take gender stereotypes. Many still believe that women are inferior to men in intelligence, professionalism, determination - and therefore cannotVTsIOM: Russians are not ready to see a woman as president or prime minister, for example, to serve as president.
This is the tip of the iceberg: there are a myriad of lesser-known stereotypes that poison people's lives. Thick means lazy. He dyed his hair and pierced his ear, which means he is gay. And since he is gay, then he is a marginal and generally a bad person. Lives in the village - uneducated. He dresses in second-hand clothes - he earns little, which means that he is stupid and lacking in initiative. And so on and so forth. Their name is legion.
Such judgments make it harder for people to find a job, they are forced to endure ridicule, bullying and even violence.
We are at enmity
About 30% of Russians surveyed believeXenophobia and nationalismthat people of other ethnic origin should not be allowed into the country at all. That is, they do not want to see them even as tourists.
Dozens of military conflicts still rage in the world, based on interracial or interethnic hostility. Even in a completely civilized country, a person can be beaten or maimed for how he looks and whom he loves. And how many copies break on the Internet just because the opponent belongs to a different camp, which means that a priori is full of vices and deserves rudeness and insults!
Social categorization and stereotyping has always been the root from which mutual hatred grows. People not only treat strangers worse - they often dehumanize those who are not like them. That is, they treat someone who is different, not as a person and admit that they need to be treated accordingly.
Don't give in to prejudice🤚
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We run the risk of making a big mistake
Not hiring someone just because of their skin color, gender, age, or political views - and missing out on a great employee and valuable specialist. Refusing to associate with someone because of their hobby, which you think is stupid - and losing a good friend. Well, in general, drawing premature conclusions, we are deprived of the opportunity to get to know someone better, learn new things, acquire interesting connections.
How to disaccustom to judge superficially
Learning a thoughtful, calm and impartial attitude towards people - not rushing to conclusions, trying to get to know the interlocutor better and evaluate him more comprehensively - can be difficult and unusual. But this will definitely open the way to interesting acquaintances and important discoveries. To make it easier to abandon prejudices, take note of a few recommendations from a psychologist.
Anastasia Bakhtina
Flexible skills are now valuing more in society. The days when people were judged solely by their professional qualities or social status are over. Now you still need to “be human”: attentive, impartial, able to listen and give advice, empathize and much more. This is why you can achieve greater success by ditching templates.
Patterns most often arise in our head unconsciously. We must strive to notice the moments of laziness of the brain and superficial thinking. At first, just keep track, then switch yourself to analytical and rational perception, force yourself to think. This ability and skill of changing the thinking strategy will come in handy in developing awareness. Don't jump to conclusions, let people surprise you, give yourself the opportunity to find good things and learn something. interesting, without resorting to stereotypes, and you will see that the quality of interaction with others and the world in general is noticeable will improve.
Have you ever had a case when the first stereotypical impression about a person turned out to be wrong? Tell your stories in the comments!
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