The dictionary defines stereotype as: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
How do stereotypes come about? They are typically the result of a singular experience. For instance, my first experience with a person from the country of Honduras wasn’t great. It was a grumpy person at the Honduras airport.
Should I draw the conclusion that all Hondurans are grumpy? Or maybe make it more specific, all Honduran women are grumpy? Or make it specific in another way? All airport employees are grumpy. Or maybe it’s only the airport employees of Honduras?
Or I could go a different direction. All middle-aged Hondurans are grumpy. Or is it middle-aged women in general that are grumpy?
I hope and pray that by now you see the ridiculousness of what I’m doing. I’m talking about stereotypes. Oversimplified ideas. I would encourage you to throw out all oversimplified ideas that you have about people.
Do not allow a small sample of experiences to define a person. Am I picking on you? Yes, but I’m also picking on myself. I fight against this behavior, but still catch myself drawing a too fast conclusion about someone sometimes.
Some stereotypes are uglier than others, and we often think that because we avoid the uglier stereotypes of racism or sexism, that we’re not guilty of stereotyping in more subtle ways.
How do I know if I’m guilty? If you can use one word to explain anything about a person, you are guilty and you are wrong. Why? Because we are not simple creatures. We are incredibly complex. Let’s use the Biblical example of David and apply one-word descriptions.
Courageous. Faith-filled. Warrior. Foolish. Murderer. Adulterer. Are all of these true? Yes. Should only one of these words be used to fairly describe him? No. Why? Because simple descriptions cannot be given to the complex.
Consider this- What if someone used only one word to describe you? The thought isn’t fair, is it? No, it certainly is not. Let’s instead allow our practice of the second greatest command extend to how we think about and describe other people, and be especially gracious to your brother and sisters in Christ.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
