The Dangers Of Stereotypes Essay

Stereotypes have burdened society since the beginning of time through their blunt suggestions and detrimental consequences. In many ways, stereotypes are helpful because they inform people of the dangers that they could put themselves in during certain situations or around certain people. However, many individuals and groups have a difficult time understanding that while stereotypes are based in some truths, they do not equally apply to everyone of a particular race or gender. Stereotypes create a feeling of tension and distance that is toxic to society. Therefore, stereotypes are both useful and useless; they allow people to implement caution in possibly dangerous situations, but they also prevent numerous positive interactions in public and

private that could bring humanity closer together.
Stereotypes have been created over the course of history, and a part of them is based in some truths.

Stereotypes have not just magically appeared out of thin air. They have been created over time from particular events and actions of certain people, animals, and things. Stereotypes have been passed down from generation to generation as children walk down the street with their mother and notice that she walks particularly fast when passing a black man. Stereotypes are useful because they make people aware of dangers that are associated with certain people and places. In his article “Black Men and Public Space” Brent Staples states that, “Women are particularly vulnerable to street violence, and young black males are drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators of that violence” (521). The fact that young black males are greatly represented among the perpetrators of street violence has undeniably made many women stereotype all black males as perpetrators of that violence. However, this stereotype among other stereotypes has saved lives as people acknowledge that perhaps they should not hang out around certain people at certain times of day in certain places. However, stereotypes also cause society much harm and separation because many people are not aware that all people cannot be stereotyped, and even that these “certain” people, times, and situations cannot always be

stereotyped.
Stereotypes are useless because they hurt people and create distance that the world would be much better without. Sadly, stereotypes prevent people from learning about and becoming friends with other people. Again in his article, “Black Men and Public Space” Staples discusses that he whistles tunes of Beethoven and Vivaldi when walking the streets of New York , and he states that whistling “is [his] equivalent of the cowbell that hikers wear when they know they are in bear country” (522). Stereotypes not only prevent people from approaching those that they fear because of stereotypes, but they also cause people that have been stereotyped to keep their distance and in a way fear the people that have stereotyped them. Everyone has a stereotype because of stereotypes, and the more that people keep away from each other the worse stereotypes become. Stereotypes hurt someone every single day. They are powerful manmade tools that have been used to harm millions of people, and the world will always feel too big as long as stereotypes exist.
Stereotypes are frustrating to discuss because they do hold some truths, and they have in certain situations been useful because they have been implemented and saved lives. However, as long as stereotypes exist someone will always be hurt. Someone will possibly lose their life because of a stereotype and that makes them useless. Stereotypes will always been an issue unless all individuals make an effort to overcome their stereotypes whether that be acting a different way or not believing in stereotypes.