Why do stereotypes bother me so much? - I don't know. It's the notion that people think that people are all the same; that they're not individuals. Yet, I also hate being told I am the exception to the stereotype, even though it could well be put upon me, all the while it recklessly wages on "inspite of me". I guess I just hate stereotypes, which is rather hypocritical of me, because I know I can be found using them. They're not accurate. There's no way that a list of qualities (or flaws) can perfectly fit someone simply because of one aspect of their life.
It bothers me because if I find that a stereotype is cast on me, I try to live my life differently; I try to escape its wrath. I've never been one of those people that clings loudly to my uniqueness (or at least, I don't think so...), or tried outlandishly to be obviously different. I don't like that something like that gets to me. I don't like that the only way to escape them is for one to prove their self. I guess that is within our nature, (not to excuse it) that we expect people to prove themselves. Yet no one likes someone who is constantly trying to prove their self. I hate being forced to prove myself, I've never liked it because I don't believe I have to prove anything to anyone. Having to prove one's self, means living up to someone else's expectations. Why should someone be forced to change to fit another's expectations? Particularly, when they are not involved in each other's lives, to a point that the person they are is not enough?
I don't like stereotypes (but who does, really...) because I feel like they trap people; they put them in a box. They make people out to be different than they are, without bothering to truly get to know them. They are a useless tool of fear because we as humans want things to be our way, and everyone to be like us...and yet we want to be different. We intend to constantly point out differences amongst people. We want to highlight how they are not like us, but then we are offended when the world notices that we are different. It is a constant, vicious cycle that if you stop to try to pull it apart, it's like untangling a tiny, delicate necklace.
Stereotypes enable fear and ignorance, because we do not bother to understand someone that is different from us. We do not believe in individuality, and yet we do so strongly.
So which do we say it is?
