Introduction

There are many different types of people. There are people with different gender, religion, race and many more. These characteristics define who they are as a person. Assuming that a person has the characteristics of a kind does not mean that they have the same traits as their kind. This is called stereotyping Stereotyping can be seen everywhere, in school, in the public, and even at home. These act cause a lot of miscommunication in life and many people are offended because of it. Stereotyping can also lead to a bigger problem which is discrimination. Therefore, it is important not to stereotype anyone and judge every single person based on their actions and not physical characteristics.

Personal Experience

During the first year in polytechnic, I remembered there was a guy with a huge tattoo at the back of his neck. Many people were afraid of him and rumour of him being a gangster started to spread like wildfire for the past few days. Everyone in class and lecture avoided him as much as possible. I also tried to avoid him as he was very muscular too.

Finally one day, our assignment required pair work and I got chosen randomly to work with him. At first, I was thinking “Damn, why is it me?”. I was afraid but after gathering up courage and out of respect, I greeted him and he kindly greeted me back. I was shocked as I had never heard his voice before. After working with him, I realized that he was actually smart and kind. He also shared with me his interest in tattoo art but many people thought that he was a gangster. That was when I realized that I was also one of those people that stereotyped him based to his tattoo. I apologized to him about stereotyping him. He did not get mad and laugh instead. He was used to it and even till now, we are friends.

Implication

This lesson taught me about stereotyping a person and also do not always believe to rumours. If you want to know whether a person is actually what people say, you have to know him/her personally in order to get the truth. Do not judge a book by its color.

Conclusion

Stereotyping can cause a lot of miscommunication and problems. Even though it is hard not to stereotype someone accidentally, we have to try our best not to do it. Stereotyping often leads to discrimination and results in conflict. Communication will ease or worsen the situation very quickly. We must be very mindful of our words.