"Oh yea, she's a brat." The words sting my ears with they're blunt severity. "Sounds like she's been spoiled to me." The comments on eight-year-old Connie Talbot's character continue their onslaught. We don't know the little celebrity from popular tv show "Britain's Got Talent" and yet we shoot out critizism like a bullet.
Many other situations of this kind take place everyday. This kind of behavior is called stereotyping. I too have been guilty of stereotyping people too, but the only words that come to my mind to describe it are that it is wrong.
By putting people into a stereotype, we prevent ourselves from wanting, or trying to reach out to them. Much like the Indian cast-system, when we stereotype people, they become 'untouchable' in our subconcious, which prevents us from being an effective witness for Christ.
People aren't likely to want to have anything to do with people who let comments like: "she's a slut," or "hope you enjoy babysitting those kids" leak out. They are hurtful and people will begin to wonder if the other will begin stereotyping them. When it gets to that point, unfortunately, stereotypers will start to become a stereotype too.
To be effective, we need to be willing to accept people's lifestyles, differences, and behavior. Which also means that we treat those who do stereotype people equally too.
There are many different names for stereotyped people; we call people who like subjects like science and math geeks; people work hard to be liked or favored (even if they do it in the wrong way) are called kiss-ups, or suckers. The list can and does go on and on. New 'classes' are formed in our heads all the time, especially towards the rich and famous. We automatically assume that because so many rich people are selfish and only care for personal gain, the rest will all be the same. Or because so many of the famous people we read about have 'gone bad' we think that the rest will 'go bad' too.
I guess this brings in the golden rule and not judging a book by it's cover mentality. When we stereotype people, we are judging them, usually before we get to know them, and that is judging a book by it's cover, as well as breaking the 'golden rule' (found in Matthew 7:1-5). And when we begin to judge others, they will begin to judge us. Just look at how those in Iran and Iraq hate people from North America, that is an extreme stereotype. And by saying that I too probably sound like I am stereotyping the people in those countries. I am merely using an example.
But to conclude, stereotyping can ruin relationships, because it is a way of judging people. When we see someone, and we do not agree with their lifestyle, dress, behavior ect. we need to learn to keep it to ourselves. Just as I heard someone say only a few days ago, words have power; if we speak out what we think of people, it will spread and become extreme like the previous example, and could be very hurtful. Think first, then speak.
Luke 6:37
Romans 2:1
Romans 14:4
Colossians 2:16
