KNOCKING DOWN STEREOTYPES
In today’s world, everyone has an opinion on everything. I don’t know how people can hold opinions about things, most of which they know so little about. To make matters worse, having platforms to air these opinions has built some level of arrogance in many such that they feel they know better than others and close doors to learning and growth.
One quick way to form opinions about others is to rely on stereotypes, which someone called a lazy man’s way of understanding the world because they are oversimplified and overgeneralised notions or mental images about groups of people. The media help to create and perpetuate these stereotypes, many of which are negative, for example through movies. So, we just assume that fat people are ugly, beautiful and successful women are loose, pastors are enriching themselves with their congregations’ funds, etc. and we bash people along these lines especially on social media.
[bctt tweet=”Stereotypes limit our appreciation of the variety of human beings out there.” username=”edithohaja1″]
Before you join others to mock or castigate anyone, ask yourself how much you really know about them or the issue being discussed about them. Don’t be in a hurry to chastise or pass judgment. Most times, it’s more beneficial to read, quietly observe things and listen to others than to be so opinionated.
And understand that as an ambassador of Christ, your role is to affirm and strengthen people in the salient areas of life, rather than tear them down on the basis of how you see some peripherals. This is very important because sometimes how people are stereotyped could endanger their lives as we have seen recently in Nigeria with cop arrests and shootings of guys in dreads on the suspicion that they are criminals. This is similar to racial profiling of Blacks as gangsters and Arabs as terrorists in the Western world.
That is why the Lord Jesus charges us in John 7:24 to:
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” – (KJV)
Another translation renders it this way:
[bctt tweet=”Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly. – John 7:24 (NLT)” username=”edithohaja1″]
During His earthly ministry, Jesus was faced with stereotypes as we are. The Pharisees, elders and teachers of the law were seen as godly but the ordinary people were seen as lost and ignorant. Also, the tax collectors that served the Romans were regarded as the worst of sinners. Jesus was accused of consorting with these “sinners” but He showed through the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican (Luke 18:9-14), plus his treatment of Matthew and Zaccheus, the tax collectors (Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 19:2-10) and the “sinful” woman who anointed him with very expensive perfume (Luke 7:36-50), that God is more interested in penitent hearts than self-righteousness and that He will not reject the repentant souls because of the labels they’ve been branded with.
He went as far as warning the religious people that the tax collectors and the prostitutes were going into the kingdom of God ahead of them (Matthew 21:28-32) due to their hardheartedness and unbelief, a reminder that “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart”- 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV).
And that is how He wants us to look at others, through His eyes, to see the things that really matter.
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So I’d like us to do an exercise, if you will. Let us show our disapproval of some stereotypes in the comments. I will start with the examples I gave above.
***Fat people are not necessarily ugly. Body shaming is wrong. If all we see about people is their weight or stature, we are missing their essence.
***Beautiful and successful women can be chaste. Beauty attracts attention, no doubt, but not every gorgeous-looking woman is a slut. And not every successful woman slept her way to the top.
***Not every pastor is defrauding his or her members. Some churches have accounting departments that handle their finances. So there are rich pastors who did not gain their wealth by dipping their hands into their church purse or levying church members.
***Not every male in dreads is a thief or thug. Dreadlocks are in fashion. They don’t necessarily indicate drug use or violent behaviour.
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Add your rebuttal of any stereotype you often encounter below and have a great new week.
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Stereotypes have become the order of the day on social media. People throw comments and choose to give opinions on issues they know little or nothing about. The astonishing aspect is that some people who comment instigate and create an angry atmosphere for themselves and others unnecessarily. May God help us!
May we learn to mind our business where necessary and avoid judging people.
Amen. May God’s face shine upon you in Jesus’ name.
Thank you Ma for sharing on this highly underestimated topic. The very bad thing about stereotyping is that the people who do it do it so arrogantly and ignorantly. They do not put themselves in the shoes of those they are stereotyping. More examples of stereotype is assuming that everyone with HIV/AIDS contracted the disease through illicit sex. I wonder if they ever know other ways HIV can be transmitted.
Also, the stereotype that any man who helps with chores at home is a woman-wrapper or not a man at all. This one is so ridiculous.
How about the stereotype that any unmarried woman getting towards the middle age chased all her husbands away or was too selective. Don’t they know marriage is a thing of choice that anyone can go into when they feel like.
Or the stereotype that anyone with tattoos, and piercings are wayward and possessed. Haa!
There are lots more. I just hope people will strive to get to know the truth before they conclude.
Okay, I’m taking part in the exercise of Knocking down stereotype..
Not all masculine females are lesbians, some grew up amidst males, some were raised by single Dads, and other factors alike.
Let’s knock down this stereotype
This is very interesting….
We are in a world where every one talks about another person like they know everything about the person….
I will not lie…. I’m a culprit of this…. One of my friends had an issue with someone. I did not even care to ask what really happened, I started judging her…. After the whole thing, the person that told me the story was the wrong one….
She really felt bad but I apologized and I was forgiven…
This post has really taught me a lot that am grateful for…
God bless you, ma!
Glad you were blessed by the post. You have a teachable spirit and that is a key to promotion. Cheers!
This has become a norm in the society, especially the social media society and it’s sad. People have decided not to look beyond the cover of the book. I am happy that you touched this delicate topic and I believe it would be an eye opener to those who read it.
Thanks but I would have been happier if you gave us one or more examples. You are the apple of God’s eyes. Never forget that.
I really agree with this post and I love the first paragraph in a special way .. I have seen people argue to a fight concerning issues they know very little about and the worse is when they are asked their source of information on the matter you discover that their source is just “mere hear say” or a careless post from the social media. Bringing it down to the church people amongst the autodox churches who are out spoken or who do not dress in a stern religious manner randomly known as “deeper life dressing” are seen as not spiritual (by the way, I stand for decency/ modesty in all things) my point is, often times you get to learn that those people hold firmly to core behavioral Christain tenets more than those who stereotype them, let’s not forget that the Bible says “hence forth, shall we know no man by the flesh” 2Cor. 5 vs 15.
Stereotyping is what we all do on a daily basis. I am also guilty of it to some extent, although I don’t fully believe in it because I see it as a logical fallacy.
It is wrong to judge a whole nation or race just because of what few people have done or what you think they did.
I have heard a lot of stereotypical statements like “IMO state people are very cunning and smart, they think they know it all and would like to use other people’s brains”.
“Akwa-ibom people too like women”
“Nsukka people maltreat their women”
“Anambra people are evil and like money rituals”.
These and many others are typical examples of stereotypes which are not meant to be.
We should all try to understand that stereotypes are the worst lies anyone can tell and also learn to judge people by their personal behaviours and qualities and not some overgeneralised statements and qualities.
These are very good examples, Blessing. We really need to know people individually before making up our minds about them. You are super blessed in Jesus’ name.
We should stop seeing people as one thing because they actually become that one thing in our eyes. Like Deeper Life members being known as people that puts on bogus and unfitting dresses which is not totally true! Seeing the other side of a person, situation etc will help us understand them better. Thanks
i have heard over time that single mothers are sluts only because they chose to keep their babies, but a thousand and one of the accusers have actually undergone countless number of abortions. If only we will be disposed to look inwards, we will realize that we have no right to stereotype anybody.
True, it takes a lot of courage to keep a pregnancy got out of wedlock, especially for young girls. While we don’t encourage extramarital sex, if conception has already taken place, keeping the baby should not attract a stigma. God’s grace in your endeavours, Victor, in Jesus’ name.
This is one thing we are not getting right in this country.
How can we judge a group of people using one person’s behaviour as a yardstick, it doesn’t make sense.
We are all created differently and as such behave differently and the earlier we understand that fact the better for us all.
Stereotypes are lies and should be treated as one.
Thank you ma for this post that will change a lot of people’s mindset.
Nice, but I was hoping you would remind us of one stereotype you abhor. You are richly blessed in Jesus’ name.
This post came at the right time. We are in that moment in history when people find it difficult to ask critical questions before forming opinions.
No woman wants to work with PHCN, No comfortable man wants to work with the Nigerian Police Force, Every Politician is a thief. Aaaaaaaaaah!
Our minds should always be challenged before we form opinions about people and events.
Thank you Dr. Edith Ohaja, you are wisdom personified.
Glory to God and abundant blessings to you, Ernest.
Not every young car owning man is a yahoo boy. People still sincerely work hard to earn a living. Say no to stereotypes!
True, my dear! The present government is so,backward and has so impoverished Nigerians that every rich person is deemed a criminal or corrupt. May God deliver us in Jesus’ name.
Not every African embraces Black Magic or ‘Voodoo’. Most people think that everything in Africa is run by black magic and that African men sacrifice their souls and children to get riches by embracing witchcraft which is actually not true.
True, Emmanuel! This is why Nollywood movies can get tiresome. All the juju involved is not an accurate depiction of how prevalent it is in real life. But I think the industry is weaning itself of that boring path. You are highly blessed in Jesus’ name.
Not all quiet and introvert ladies are pretenders or devils. People will always say”fear those quiet pretenders, they are the worst humans on earth”. W should not generalize this.
Nice one, Moniquefloxy! Happy new week!
There is this mindset that people have as well, that every actress sleeps with those at the top for fame and I want to correct it by saying that, not every actress slept their way into the movie industry, many worked very hard to get there.
Not all short women are wicked…… We have this notion about short women, that they are extremely wicked and that they always send their husbands to early graves…… But it’s not always the case…. We have some who are really good in terms of taking up their family responsibilities.
NB: Wickedness comes from the heart and not from the height.
Thanks for the quotable quote: “Wickedness comes from the heart and not from the height.” You are awesomely blessed in Jesus’ name.
There is a proverb in our local parlance that the eyes eats before the stomach. Some persons base their attitudes of stereotype on this proverbs and alike proverbs and believes. Stereotyping is a sheer act of judging a book by its cover.some persons condemn others by their mere appearance maybe because it is said that people are addressed as they are dressed. For whatever reason, stereotyping is an indignant attitudes our fellows and should be avoided in the best way possible
Skin colour is not a password to beauty. Fair people are not the most beautiful people in the planet, black is beautiful and unique as a matter of fact. Anyone can be beautiful, no matter the skin colour.
Thank you so much for this topic ma, many people feel inferior and lose their self esteem as a result of issues like this.
Very true, Amaraci. Some of the most beautiful people I know are dark skinned. You are lifted in Jesus’ name.
Very true, Amarachi. Some of the most beautiful people I know are dark skinned. You are lifted in Jesus’ name.
You know, it is widely believed that mbaise people are hard-hearted and unscrupulous and this stereotype has haunted many of us for so long. Nobody cares to know you on a personal level before making a judgment. They see only what they want to see and you may not always have the energy to correct that misconception. When you show just a little bit of assertiveness or try to stand your ground in an argument, it further cements their opinion. I just wish it would stop. We are more than people think we are, we are better. So the next time someone tries to talk an mbaise person down or belittle him/her, I hope they’ll be more rational. Thank you for this post aunty
Thank you too, my dear! Many areas have these steretypes, like Enugu Ezike is the headquarters of juju, Ebonyi people are bush people, etc. These notions are so unfair. Have a bleesed May, Kat!
Not all disabled person is unable to do anything… For instance, a visually impaired person. People tend to assume that a blind person cannot be useful to him or herself and to the society at large because of their condition which is not true. They are many blind people who are talented and successful. I have a blind friend who loves writing and singing and he is making his own money. People should really find out more about a particular thing before generalising it.
It is wonderful that you brought up this problem ma. This issue has always needed to be addressed. For example, people think that Enugu Ezike community is very diabolic when in the actual sense there are actually good people who come from there. I think the children are paying for the sins of their forefathers and this is affecting later generations and might probably still affect children unborn. It would be proper to give them the benefit of the doubt and get to know them personally before ostracizing them. May God help us
Amen. Have a beautiful week, Blessing!
Sterotype have become the order of each passing day in our media society. People argue on things based on “hear say” or what they see on social media. They don’t have any reliable fact or source to back their argument up. I will advice everyone to mind their business and stop defaming others.
Thanks ma for this eye opening post.
Not everyone who’s gone to university is logical and reasonable.
This is very true most of us judge others base on what they heard without finding out the real truth behind the matter.so as a christian we should learn not to judge other based on what we hear or what we feel ,rather find out the real fact about any matter that you are not sure of for the HOLY BOOK stated that we should not judge others so that we will not be judged.
wow! were is David my lodge mate? He must see this post. Haba!
He will ALWAYS say: Imo people are opportunistic, they cannot do anything that they cannot benefit from, they are greedy set of people.
I have seen a friend who bluntly refused to attend church Sunday services on grounds that all Pastors have turned Church to business, that they go about buying private jets, expensive cars etc
I have my flaw too, especially towards slim ladies, God please help me change my attitude.
more power to your elbow ma. Nice one
Nice talk, most times our dressing and fashion doesn’t define us , for example those that keeps dreed then in hilltop or guys that wear Rugged gen trouser then SARS usually arrest them and accused them of stolen people’s property e.t.c
Or even seeing a young guy driving Benz when he stop near a lady , she will start running just because of that mindset , guys that drive Benz use a ladies pants to buy it.
We should stop judging people like that.
It is quite unfortunate that the issue of stereotype lives among us, where people misconstrue others all because of untruthful general believe of the society. Sadly, even on a personal or individual level this stereotype still exist and it is very wrong. Actually, being sincere here, I can still remember having a wrong notion about a friend earlier (Catherine), but on a closer interaction with her I found out she wasn’t as I thought. So basically, I believe when one has a wrong notion about others, they should do well to avoid castigation and perhaps, hear or see from the persons point of view, who knows, it might turn out to be just an error of the mind. Thanks for this ma, though it reminded me of my aforementioned error sha…
Not all yorubas are dirty, and not all Benz riders are G boys. This are common stereotyping in Nigeria which are not true, dirtiness is not based on tribes, and driving a luxurious car does mean you dupe people to get your money.
Not quoting the Bible yet, stereotyping is not good. So many, want’s to judge other’s without asking, they want to criticize without proper verification. I saw in the news today how some airport workers were arrested for planting drugs into the luggages of some Nigerians.
Already it has been crested in the hearts of these people (the White’s), that the average Nigerian young man who is wealthy, is a fraud star.
This thing called stereotyping is killing our culture, fashion styles, Christina life and other’s. The earlier we stop stereotyping, the better for us.
Stereotype ?
It is wrong to judge any lady who admires or complements a handsome young man. How ridiculous it is to say that such a lady is cheap or a slut simply because she appreciates a good looking man. For goodness sake! The lady may not even have a crush talk more of wanting to be in a relationship with the man. There is no wrong in appreciating or complimenting what is good.
Please lets be guided. Bless you ma for this post.
Finally oo, no one is in a better position or has the right to judge people based on this context in the passage. Only God has the right, so we should not try to act as if we are perfect. What is expected from us is observing quietly and read than to be so opinionated.
This stereotype situation has become very rampant in our modern society and in some cases have made people to lose confidence due to this deceitful act. My advice to everyone is to be mindful of what they think about people or say to people.
NOT ALL INTELLIGENT PEOPLE ARE SASSY!
NOT ALL “CHURCH GIRLS” ARE PRETENDERS!
NOT ALL ENUGU-EZIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN DIABOLIC ACTIVITIES
NOT ALL RICH GIRLS AND BOYS ARE PROUD
I am stating this from experience. I can nevrnfirget how I nearly ruined a beautiful relationship with someone thinking she was sassy and arrogant and proud…
She was in same class with me. I felt she was just showing off because she knew mathematics more than everyone of us.
Then I would see people cluster around her like a plague, I felt she was the one ordering them around. Not until I had a personal encounter with her
I had already generalised then that all intelligent people were arrogant but she made me have a different view of things.
It is also not all church girls that are pretenders. When you interact with people they always say ‘abeg leave them na them dey pretend pass’. But that’s not the case at all. Even though some church girls in quote get pregnanyand do all manner of things, that should not be a generalisation for everyone.
When I gained admission newly I dreaded people who told me they were from Enugu-Ezike just because of the orientation I had from those around me. Don’t go close to them, they are evil but I’ve found out that it’s a very big FALLACY!
Not all of them are diabolical at all. Please be guided!
Never be in a haste to judge, looks can be deceptive. This piece is really wonderful because so people have encountered bizarre incidents because of misinterpretation and generalization. A clear example is a viral video of on social media which showed how a police man wanted to arrest a young guy and labelled him a yahoo boy due to the fact that the he is using an iPhone . We should all should be careful and devoid of steoretypes
There are so many Gender Stereotypes.
For women we have : Praise women who are thin and fashionable, and put down those who have other body shapes and styles.
Treat women and girls as sexual objects.
Portray women’s key role in life as the caretaker or homemaker.
Show women as dramatic, catty, and over-emotional.
For the male population we also have stereotypes like: Idealise a buff and toned body shape.
Stigmatise boys who show emotion instead of bravado and “grit”.
The problem with being exposed to poor gender representation and gender stereotypes is that they are everywhere all the time! These stereotyped messages in the media, through television, movies, magazine, music videos, advertising, video games, social media, and more, can over time influence you to adopt similarly narrow ideas of gender roles in society. God bless.
This stereotyping of a thing is getting so rampant that sometimes people cannot get into conversations with random strangers with fear of getting judged once the person gets to know you. And the funny thing is that the stereotypes comes from many things, like being a single working class lady does not mean the lady is into prostitution or being born into an influential family does not mean the children are spoilt, even social media for example Instagram doesn’t help because they’ll idolize a certain body type or shape and when/if someone doesn’t fit into it, the person isn’t beautiful enough or deserve likes or reposts. I just think it’s really sad that stereotyping has become part of our day to day life.
Everywhere you go there will always be stereotypes because people are scared of what they don’t understand or what seems abnormal to them. Sometimes, they mock those who are different to feel good about themselves. So , when people jibe at you for being different, you must raise your head high and smile because there’s no fun in being a regular chicken when you’re a swan.
No one has the right to judge any man no matter what. No one should say what he is not sure of. Everything should be left for God to judge. He sees everything.
This writeup is a must-see for everyone!
Is very wrong to conclude easily on people because of what you heard or see like the aspect that men from Anambra state made their money through rituals is very wrong notion because I know so many or them which happen to be my uncles that made their way to the top through consistent hard work
Stereotypes can cause so much pain and hatred. To those who believe in stereotypes, I implore you to get to know each individual person before you label them according to what stereotypical group they belong to. If a stereotype is being applied to you based on the color of your skin, the color of your hair, or anything about your general appearance or personality, I urge you to ignore those stereotypes and stay true to the person that you are. Some other examples of stereotypes are; a woman’s duties lies in the kitchen and the other room which is the problem uneducated women who doesn’t know their rights face and as a result gives the men room to mess with them. Another popular one is the hateful speech they give to any success young woman who isn’t married, they see them as prostitute who have affairs with Rich married men. We should learn to avoid this because it is not good at all. Thank you Ma for sharing this..
It is not good to generalise, this is because others would be judged in the blinkered of the content of one person’s character.
This the major canker worm that has killed a nation like Nigeria. The northerners, Southerners and Easterners are living in a pretended peace not for any other thing but the war time stories, how it was told that the Yoruba’s betrayed the Igbo’s and so on whereas it was those individuals involved then that had issues and not the whole tribes. This generalisation now is costing Nigeria a dear because everyone is ethnically minded
What an educative Post!
This word stereotypes has really done more harm than good.
My anger is that those people that discriminate a lot are even the educated ones. A lot of people have sworn never to associate themselves with someone just because of what they heard about the person instead of trying to find out what the problem is.
May almighty God give us all the wisdom to understand that we are all created and equal before Him,Amen.
“Don’t judge if you don’t want to be judged.”
“Don’t be too quick in making assumptions about someone, try to put yourself in his or her shoe.”
It’s very bad to judge people for their actions because you don’t know what led to that.
Nobody is above mistakes. Instead of passing judgement you can actually help them change. I wish people can understand this
I think in some cases I’m guilty of this crime as indirectly my mind is made up against people who i have not even know very well probably because of dressings etc but now that i know better and will do best!!! bless you Ma we actually do learn everyday if you are teachable.
Stereotyping is a canker worm that has eaten deep in the heart and minds of many.many people are not even aware this is a sin.this has denied men great opportunities.God help us.this is a matter of great relevance and importance.everyone has its beginning and everyone has its ending.it is bad to critcism,lambast and say iinordinate things about somebody.let God be our judge and judge alone.
Hello Michael! Please put your name only in the field for names when you comment here, not your blog address. Thank you.
Stereotyping is a bad thing, and it had done many nations great harm, especially our country Nigeria. And the negative side of it is that, is even getting worse with the presence of internet. And the heart breaking thing there is that, we, Africa and Nigerians are the people suffering the heat in its fullness. The white Imperialists sees nothing good in us, not that most of them has set their foot in the sand of Africa oo, Just that somebody said that this is like that, They pick it as a theory, and their media are so wicked that they only focus on the negative side of Africa, thereby hiding their own errors, and that is why, it is more easier to gain a visa to Heaven than in most of their countries. Because they never see us as people that has conscience. Yet in Nigeria, the issue at hand, in terms of leadership is still not far from fear which was engineered by stereotyping, the Hausas believe that Igbos are this and that, Igbos believes that Hausas are the other thing, the same goes to Yoruba and rest of them. Nobody trust each other, and nobody wants to give each other benefits of doubt, the whole system keeps on crumbling simultaneously. This need to be stopped it is neither helping us nor growing us towards positivity.
Wow! This is great. This post reminds me of the look on my friend’s face the day I told her that I was going to wear a wig to class the next day. Her expression was like, “you want to backslide”. Hhaha! It was funny to me and I called her a stereotype.
My sister told me about a girl that people, even christian mothers, call a prostitute, as a result of her excessive makeups and what she wears to church. She finally said that most of the cloths and makeups the girl wears are not hers, they are borrow-pose. Now, the reason she did all that was just to keep people from seeing how pennyless she is. She was trying to cover up poverty but we misunderstood.
Truthfully, it’s easy to tag people wrong and I am also a tremble culprit. God help me!
I like this line: “before you join others to mock or castigate anyone, ask yourself how much you really know about them.” I t reminds me of what is normally believed about fat people: they can smell for Africa! Lol. But that’s over-generalization. It’s funny though, how people generalize things: you’ll hear them say, short people are always bad tempered; people from certain tribe or community are always in a particular kind of habit; women in politics are always promiscuous. One thing should be made clear: the fact that a person or majority of persons from a particular tribe behave(s) in a certain way does not mean that every body from that tribe is also in such behaviour. Thanks to you, though, Aunty for such a wonderful piece.
Not all Muslims are terrorists. Due to the activities of Boko-Haram, people tend to conclude that the terrorist group is mostly comprised of the Muslims which is not true. Its all about individual differences and ideologies, to say that all Muslims are terrorists is a hasty generalization and so people should really dig into things properly before concluding. SAY NO TO STEREOTYPE!
Stereotyping starts from Parents and especially friends and peer groups. Parents contribute to the way children view a particular thing, group or person. Friends and peer groups also help to shape the way people perceive a particular people or thing. But, generally it is bad. If we must be honest to ourselves, Stereotyping may not be stopped completely. People are always quick to make generalizations. Ironically, Stereotyping is against the principles of sound journalism, yet the media cannot be exonerated from the blame of Stereotyping.
The mind is a pulling force that works and adapts in funny ways.
Victims of stereotypes are prone to negligence and depression, when you hear something about yourself over and over again even though you know it’s not true, your mind begins to build a house around what is been said. Judging people is a baseless act that should be done away with.
Stereotyping is not advisable.
Ma please permit me to copy this ?. People need to read this. Everyone is a culprit of stereotyping including myself. Most times I hear people say “I hate this person but I don’t know why” let me tell them why if they don’t know, “it’s because you have a concluded negative view about that person” I think if we can KNOCK DOWN STEREOTYPES we will have a better relationship with people and the society as a whole.
Go ahead and share. You are blessed!
Stereotypes can impede development and spur ethnic war if it goes overboard as is the feared case in Nigeria. Where we have some serious stereotypes about ethnicities that most times bring heated argument. Over the years, I have learnt not to judge by appearance, it can be very confusing.
One of the stereotypes I have experienced pertains to beards. Some see guys with beards as cultists, gangsters etc, which is very bad and victimizing.
Stereotypes have limited the progress of influential and potential personalities over the years.it is indeed a pity why people turn a blind eye to this societal mess.it is deafening when you criticize someone just on appearances without really knowing anything about that person.God help us all.
Oh my!!
Not every male lecturer wants sex from the ladies in return for marks. Some are actually very disciplined and give you what you deserve.
Not every Nigerian is criminal minded. The world should learn to view us differently and quit the shameful habit of clutching their bags tighter at the airports when they learn the next guy is a Nigerian.
Not every politician made it to the top through ritual. Some are actually good men whose good works speak for them and paved their ways.
Not every convict is guilty of a crime. Some are actually very honest people who found themselves in inexplicable twists of life.
The list is endless.
In times as this, it is very crucial that we redefine our perception of things and people and terminate stereotypes.
Adichie aptly defines it as single stories that malign and are incomplete.
The other side exists, and yes is worth being known.
This terrible habit that has almost become a norm a typical human being. It is in almost everything we do. We say fat people are dirty, skinny people are anorexic, PH girls are runs girls, people brought up in Lagos are spoilt brats, Anambra people kill for money, Abia people are stingy, this list goes on and on. We all need to break away from this vicious cycle and also teach others to.
This is a situation we all need to understand the new world in which all of dreams about need to start with us individually
this is so far one of the best posts i have come across in a long time ma! this generation really has as her yardstick, stereotypes for the measurement of action and inactions. they tend to glorify these sterotypes especially the ones that concurs with their personal preferences and see them as ‘laws’ and infallible doctrines. this issue also concerns the modern, confused self acclaimed feminists of our time.
For me, a stereotype that I find quite disturbing Ma is that Enugu-Ezike indigenes are kown mainly for juju. I sometimes feel bad for those from there because once you tell people where you are from, they will start loooking at one skeptically + if one loses something the place of reference to go to find the culprit is Enugu – Ezike. But believe me when I say with posts like this, hopefully we will all understand that stereotypes are bad and we should get to know someone better before we jump to conclusion…. Well done, ma!
How I wish I could disperse this post to a much wider audience. I’ve been a victim of stereotyping. People see me and first thing that runs through their mind is ‘I’m a cultist or a member of a dangerous gang’. Unaware of the fact that appearances are highly deceptive and misleading. The ones we chastise and rebuke are actually the ones the purest intentions. Not all men with suits are gentlemen, and not all men with dreads and beards are criminals.
I honestly believe that the biggest enabler of stereotypes in today’s world is the internet, particularly social media. I’m talking based on the fact that social media has introduced a new yardstick for measuring a person’s worth. So now, we have to be slim to be considered beautiful, we have to be tall to be confident, we have to be rich to be happy, if you’re a self made young woman then you must be a prostitute, etc. Anyone who falls short of those ridiculous “expectations” is viewed as not enough. It is a sad state of affairs indeed when individuals don’t take the time to get to know a person before passing judgement based on superficial attributes. Surprisingly, in my experience, it is the people that falls short of the so called “perfect yardstick” that have turned out to be the best people I’ve ever known. We need to take the time to get to know people before making conclusions about their person.
Stereotypes, from all indications, are knowledge gathered from sense perception. It has been proven a thousand and one times that, sensible knowledge always lead us to wrong judgment. Our senses and/or stereotype can deceive us. A good reference would be drawn from President Buhari’s speech earlier this month upon his return from the UK, when asked about the current security issues in Nigeria. According him, “My Inspector General is losing weight, therefore he is working.” So, according to PMB, if you are not losing weight, it means you’re not working? It means you are just collecting your salary? Has he not body-shamed fat people?… The point here is, we have to subject our stereotypes to empirical (experience) observation, if we must judge right.
Thank you, Dr. Edith Ohaja. Remain blessed.
Most of these stereotypes are just so wrong, lame and annoying as well. As the bible says, Jesus is more interested in the contents of our hearts than our outward appearance but men declare themselves judge and put people who do not meet up to their expectations away. I can’t think of a stereotype now but I pray we start seeing things through the holy lens of God.
Stereotype makes you close your mind to seeing something good about a person. In a typical African setting, it’s hard for parents to believe that one will still do well or be great if the person had failed severally. For instance, if a girl becomes an orphan, the world believes ‘oh! that where her life ends, she won’t be great anymore’. Genevieve, waje etc. wouldn’t have been great today if they allow their mistakes weigh them. A typical person would say, once you’ve given birth at a tender age you won’t be great again. The best way out is to rise above your mistake and prove the world wrong. You could be great if you are determined. Stereotype has blindfolded and clouded the heart of people. It bad, thanks so much ma. It’s indeed a check!
Thank you Ma for sharing on this highly underestimated topic. The very bad thing about stereotyping is that the people who do it do it so arrogantly and ignorantly. They do not put themselves in the shoes of those they are stereotyping. More examples of stereotype is assuming that everyone with HIV/AIDS contracted the disease through illicit sex. I wonder if they ever know other ways HIV can be transmitted.
Also, the stereotype that any man who helps with chores at home is a woman-wrapper or not a man at all. This one is so ridiculous.
How about the stereotype that any unmarried woman getting towards the middle age chased all her husbands away or was too selective. Don’t they know marriage is a thing of choice that anyone can go into when they feel like.
Or the stereotype that anyone with tattoos, and piercings are wayward and possessed. Haa!
There are lots more. I just hope people will strive to get to know the truth before they conclude.
I have a friend that once told me he doesn’t like fat ladies and can never see himself getting married to one. I quickly asked him why and out came this response. ” I hate stuffy places or places that smell and fat people have the tendency to always smell bad”.
Also, I personally think every guy that has dread on is a thug or a bad person. Yes, its wrong to generalize but I have never seen responsible persons look that way.
So, maybe, if we want to be judged properly, we should behave properly.
However, I will learn to stop judging others unnecessarily too so that according to the good book, I won’t be judged.
Thank you ma for this.
Any one who drives a car at a very young age is an investment or property or internet fraud ……I can’t judge a book by its cover. Aunty, people need to remember one thing: only GOD is the perfect JUDGE …Gracias
Stereotypes are one of the things I hate the most and honestly that was why I chose this post. Its so common here in Nigeria that its sickening. We believe somethings that in this era of civilisation and development is just sad to still think that way. Any girl that wears an anklet is a lesbian or a whore, and for ladies beauties and home nurturing over brains. these are things that pull people down from not being themselves and even loving themselves and that is always the beginning problems. even the fact that people prefer a light-skinned over dark-skinned even in Africa is sad where its no more the colonialists that effect people but your own people make you want to change the colour of your skin is sickening, and at the same time we still wonder why people bleach. little do we know that this little remarks and statements or beliefs and preferences affect and rule the life of some others. guys also suffer this too in bizarre ways like you stated guys in bears or dreadlocks get victimised as being frauds or criminals its very sad and its needs to be changed for a healthier and happier society.
I really love this write up ma. It makes me think of young successful women. Most men feel that those women did something bad before getting where they are. So, men usually avoid self made women when they are looking to get married. We should try to look at the good in everyone no matter how they look or what they do. Do not use a whole to judge a part. Do not judge a person based on what others are.
Several years ago,I met a friend online online, an European. Though we never met, We had an interesting relationship, until she asked of my nationality,and I told her I’m Nigerian, she stopped replying my messages, months later when I continued sending her messages,she said I should stay away from her,that her mum said she shouldn’t be friends with Nigerians,that they defraud people. Of course as a patriotic citizen, I defended my country strongly but I was really hurt, someone branded me a fraudster because of where I come from. Most times, people have bad opinion about a place because of what they’ve been told by other people, I’ve seen adults filling the minds of the young ones with evil thoughts, children are born pure without having stereotype, racism and hate in them,it is the adults who make them learn such things,let’s teach children love and tolerance, the world would be a better place.
For me, a stereotype that I find quite disturbing Ma is seeing mbaise indigines as people that collect a lot for bride price. Which is very bad.
thanks ma fr this wonderful post. i thinking stereotype is a very bad discriminating act , its is a very common within our society and we need to tackle it as soon as possible. because its getting out of hand already.
wow, what every wonderful post , Ma i really appreciate for you talking about stereotype, this is a very common issues in our current society Nigeria. and i hope people get to ready and get informed and stop what i call discrimination.thanks
Mummy this is so educative. Most people like following the trend without a proper evaluation of the subject of the trend. It takes just giving attention to this kind of teaching for one to be out of such assumptions. Just like u rightly said, many are victims of these hasty generalisations and conclusions.
Thank you, ma. I’m learning more.
Oh! In as much as I cannot in it’s totality say that it is bad to hold opinion about somebody or something you have little or no knowledge about, we are the cause of any stereotype affiliated to us.
For instance, I feel bad whenever I see our ladies wear chains “leglace” around their legs or young boys put on earrings round with artificial dreadlocks. What are we projecting to the young minds out there, don’t we know a lot of people see us as role model even without our knowledge?
Oftentimes you see both genders rascally dressed all in the name of fashion. What For! Fashion? For crying out loud, we are the salt of the nation, the future, the backbone of our dying nation….
We are addressed the way we dress goes the trite. I think “we” examine ourselves and align our life style in a proper way.
However, let us not be quick to judge for we are not God. Be bless ?
Stereotyping has become an order of the day in our society and I feel we are all guilty of it. In the case of the young actress by name Regina Daniels who has been said to have married a man who is old enough to be her father. Most of us haven’t thought of a way of finding out what really happened or what prompted her to the act but instead we started slandering her and calling her all sorts of names forgetting that our words can hurt or kill her joy and also forgetting that any action one takes is purpose oriented and that she might have her reasons for what she did which is not even our business or problem. From this post, i have realized that it is really bad to judge people irrespective of what ever situation because we won’t like ourselves to be judged.
May God give us the wisdom to understand that causing pain to others intentionally or unintentionally doesn’t pay. Thank you ma and may God grant u more wisdom to motivate the youths and society at large.
We’re quick to judge a book by its cover and it’s has led to many fallacious conclusions. Stereotyping as horrible as it is, is not good enough to be the premise and background of any hypothesis.
This is a very interesting topic. I am a victim of stereotype. Sometimes i can not be free with what i wear because some people deem it gay. i can not make some hand gestures because it is gay-like. i cannot treat my face because it is only ladies and gays who are allowed to look good. i have argued and tried to defend these instances. but the world has turned deaf ears to these situations; they take delight in labeling others all sort of names for stupid reasons. this things need to be corrected that things do not seem what it looks
Everyone is wonderfully made by God irrespective of their size and shapes,body shaming or hauling insults at people doesn’t change the fact that no one is perfect.
It is only God that can perfect anyones life and in all things we should avoid discouraging others about themselves but help to make them love themselves more.
This is really a very wrong way and notion for treating people. How can you just judge someone by mere words, something you have heard and not by actually getting to know the person in question. Some say Nsukka persons are archaic, and with this, they tag everyone from Nsukka as archaic, not minding that some Nsukka persons didn’t even grow up there and some have actually developed themselves. This same thing is also applicable to short girls. That they are angry people, that they carry grudges a lot. And the thing is that this particular person blabbing this, is miles away from you already concluding and judging you with the nonsense he have heard.
thank you ma on the wonderful educative write up
but ma
before a notion is accepted and generalized ,there must have been proofs and real evidences to which these generalization is based on.
yes , not all stereotypes are all true but they is always a truth in them all
just ugwu ogochukwu used nuskka people as an example
yes , he has a point but no one should remove the fact that nuskka people have that archaic trait in them
atlist ,most of the ones i hv been with ..
some ,i didnt need a prophet to tell me that they are from nsukka
Totally I think we should put an end to this stereotyping of a thing it is seriously killing our society. For instance, all hausa-fulani are diabolical, murderers, wicked or very bad people common to even think of it there are some of them who are very human. I have an hausa-fulani friend who doesn’t like anything related to violence. Who wouldn’t like to offend anyone and who feels uncomfortable at any sinful or evil scene. Every one is not the same we are different and we should try always to understand and know people better. Thank you ma for bringing up the pertinence of knocking down stereotyping.
This post teaches us to be slow to judge.
Make statements only when we are sure and not to hurt one another
This goes hand in hand with treating everyone with dignity. These days people are very quick to judge with the little they think they know. It is very bad to the society that these generalizations are made about a particular group of people. May God help us all.
I think this stereotype is a disease most Nigerian are suffering, very very quick to point out people’s flaws without even noticing their own, even the bible spoke about removing the wood in your eyes before looking out for the spake in others own.
No, not in this part of the world, people body sham fat people, without even realizing that this folks did not create themselves, they look down on short ones as if they made the choice of being short, this is just becoming a norm here and its really not advisable.
After listening to Falz’s “Hypocrites”, I really learnt alot about judging people ,and reading this piece too shows that some people are actually not keeping silent after all.
Thanks alot momma for the post
I just want to point out that it’s everywhere, not only in these parts. Cheers!
This is a very important issue to address and the manner in which you presented it is to be applauded. These days, people are too swift to dish out their opinions on other people or situation without proper fact forgetting that things may not always be as it appear. I remember growing up with the mindset that short people are always quick to anger which is just a hasty generalization. Even the fact that women who have beards or hairs on their chests are wicked. A big exception to this is my elder sis who despite the fact that she has hairs on her chest has a heart of Gold. Therefore let us always remember to build each other up rather than tear ourselves up.
Stereotyping is evil and should never be encouraged by anyone. Not all housemaids are witches or wizards some of them are blessings to many homes. Not all Enugu Ezike people are diabolical some of them are more humane than your ideal angel. Not all decently dressed girls are mgbeke it’s just their own definition of comfort. Stereotyping has no boundaries it exists around the world and has plunged many people into depression ? and other unpleasant things. We should avoid hastily generalizing people into character traits we perceive them to be without having any personal encounter or relationship with them first. SAY NO TO STEREOTYPES!
This is great Ma. I have suffered it too and I know what it feels like for someone to say you are what you are not. I think it will be better if we try to know people and equally understand how they behave before rushing into conclusion of damaging someone’s image for something he knows nothing about because it can really kill someone’s self esteem.
Honestly I am guilty of stereotype, but this post has helped to change my view concerning some things. Stereotype is indeed bad and can have psychology effects on the victim.
Stereotypes is such that makes the critic seems right in his/her state of mind, but no one should judge a person from afar, without a closer look into the person’s life. Sometimes we cultivate a mindset for ourselves and come what may, we’d like to believe we’re right about the other person, but what does that make us, a delusional ignorant? Well, stereotyping cannot be totally erased, but this post is such that can minimise it.
What people don’t know is that every word they alter has an effect on someone somewhere, it either make or break that person. We should be very conscious of how we treat or act towards others because it goes farther than we can imagine in affecting them positively or negatively.
This is an major issue found among the youths. We so much look up to celebrities as role models, we fail to understand that everyone is made unique and should be appreciated. Creating inferiority complex in people by judging them by stereotyping is absolutely wrong. Many have gone to early grave because of this.
Let’s all think before we talk…stereotype have done more hard harm than good to our society…people now judge others from outside without hearing from them…the earlier we Change our mindset towards some certain things in this society the better for us..
I hope for a change soon, change on how people see things, how they jugde things. They just conclude without facts. This is a very serious case as many peplsp are a victim of this. We can start from ourselves to make a difference today!
I have really learnt from this post. I am very guilty of this and with what I have learnt today I will stop judging people based on their appearance. I will not jump into conclusions about people, tribes or religion. May God help me and everyone who is guilty of this. What an eye opener
If we see through God’s eyes there would be little or no room for stereotype of any sort. It’s one thing to see a person and it’s another thing to see a person and appreciate that individual’s uniqueness . We are all different for a reason, the world would be a mundane and blue place if we were all alike in traits and otherwise. God created variety in order to spice up our world and enable us appreciate each others percularity. As individuals we shouldn’t be quick to judge rather patience and observance should come before our speech. Stereotypes are mostly assumptions and as such aren’t watertight therefore they shouldn’t define our opinion of others.
Just because I don’t follow trend doesn’t mean I am archaic or outdated. I have come to learn that people will always have an opinion no matter the situation. I’ve come to learn to overlook all the stereotypical attitudes channeled towards me and I’ve also learnt not to be the bearer of them.
A thing I’ve personally observed about this generation is, like you said, the way the way they jump into discussing things they have little or no knowledge of. Pragmatically, I’ve also seen such person end up in shame as people who are knowledgeable in that issue come to demystify things to their awe! Thank God for this post. At least I can proudly tell someone to knock down stereotypes when they see them!
There is a proverb in our local parlance that the eyes eats before the stomach. Some persons base their attitudes of stereotype on this proverbs and alike proverbs and believes. Stereotyping is a sheer act of judging a book by its cover.some persons condemn others by their mere appearance maybe because it is said that people are addressed as they are dressed. For whatever reason, stereotyping is an indignant attitudes our fellows and should be avoided in the best way possible
In our world of today, stereotypes abounds and this remains a clear pointer to us all.we should never judge people just by their physical appearance and should also not be in a hurry to pass judgement unnecessarily and jump into conclusion not worth while.
Social media has paved a way for people to say whatever they want. ‘After all its my opinion and nobody’s business’ They judge not caring on the feelings of people involved which is so wrong. Just because its your opinion,doesn’t mean you should trash people to the ground. Nice one ma
Stereotype is to believe unfairly that all people or thing with a particular characteristics are the same. I can say it’s a wrong perception of people or things. Stereotype is an unhealthy behavioral pattern that is inherent I don’t know our society especially not very much informed society. In our igbo society, there are lot of stereotype against female folks…
Even in our contemporary society, people tend to believe that all politicians are the same. Which is not true.
In lombroso theory of Anthropological criminalogy, he stated that criminality is inherent and that someone born criminal could be identified by physical appearance example he outlined some body features such as broad nose or protruding forehead as a criminal. Even hairly person is a criminal.
There are cases of online trolls that only comment hateful words or people that feel like there’s a certain way to look or act. All these have been made normal and we should stop being the problem and help fix the world’s views.
True
We are quick to casting stones and condeming without knowing what someone is going through or why they act the way they do. If only we’d stop being selfish and start being mlore considerate.
There is this mindset that some people have, that every actress slept with those at the top for fame and I want to correct it by saying that, not every actress slept their way into the movie industry, some worked very hard to get there.
To add to types of stereotypes you mentioned above. Not all the people that are quiet are proud or rude, most times it could be that these people are going through a lot of issues and they decide to keep quiet about it. Most people don’t have thier own opinion they just follow what the general public dishes out to people, which is absolutely not Right. Jesus being our example never followed the general public to criticize, he believed that there is a better side to everyone, you just need to bring out of them.
true talk MA, most times we tend to judge people based on what we think they are, without even trying to know who they really are, but when you get close to this people you end up discovering that they are not what we really feel they are. for instance, most people that are seen as being arrogant or snubs end up becoming the nicest people when you get close to them.
Growing up as a girl with small stature, I have heard and most times been told to my face that short people have their hearts in their backs; they’re small but mighty in their deeds. I have grown used to this stereotype and it have not made me behave according to their assumptions. Stereotype is becoming a culture in Nigerian settings. Can it be corrected? It can only be corrected when socialization continue to take due course in the lives of youths especially. The best way to fight stereotype is to have self esteem. Belief in oneself prevents you from feeling hurt and depressed by stereotypes.
Stereotypes are a real problem in this country and outside. For example, people already take Igbo men as lovers of money, selfish and stingy individuals. They haven’t even taken the time to get to know the man properly before they decide that they don’t want to employ him or go into business with him. They don’t know the potential they may have lost. Another concept is on how the Hausa Muslims are regarded as bloodthirsty individuals. We should really see the next individual as another human being and not just classify them in a group without proper judgement.
Just like u quoted the scripture in John 7.24
‘Judge not according to appearance, but judge riotous judgement’…….indeed we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. We should not judge people based on what we heard from others, let’s learn to be responsible and not commenting on what we know little or nothing about
stereotypes sometimes are the causes of different depression,predicament of people.in our world today it is almost as it the world can not do without handicapped.humans in the world always find the tiniest shred of something to pull or pin their fellow human down.what a world we live in.
stereotypes if left for some people to decide their fate wont leave to see the next day.thank God,jehovah is the only judge.but their course somtimes is alarming.how would you rain criticism, sometimes believe they worst of people.if our creator gave us numerous chances to even breathe this air which we see as common or free why would we do we dont just give people the benefit of doubt or just believe in them.remember they is always a reason for everything.
I concur with you ma. We people of nowadays like judging others by the way they appear.
For instance, it is becoming a culture in our society that any young boy that has a car precisely Benz product is a “Yahoo or G-boy.” Not minding the business the person is doing. Therefore, for us to do away with this kind of life,We should learn to look deep into the living pattern of people before taking the final judgement.
Nonetheless, judge not so that you will not be judged.
Women can’t do as good of a job as a man.
This is a typical example labelled against Women where their strength and capabilities are Limited, who said women can not do good of a job as a man? Opinions matters on this Judgement, you cannot judge because you have not seen what they(women) have to offer in doing a job,therefore, women needs to be explored and to know if they can do or better than Men! Our opinions do not matter on our judgement about things. Thanks
So glad to see this message, cause in our world today people tend to know it all. Especially on social media so much hypocrites, no one tends to make proper research just reading stuffs from social media. I wish we would all get to understand someone’s situation before giving our opinion. Than you ma
So far we live in this world people must. Yeah, there must be competitions. People trying to be like someone else and people judge on the standards of imperfection. It all depends on us to overlook such criticism. Good enough there was this incidence of body shaming I guess someone did, a guy. Like he said I should look at my fellow girl, she is voluptuous and I like Biro. Lol. Funny right. Just exactly his words. Well I reacted, I had to slap him. You don’t compare anybody to someone else. If you can’t add to beautiful lives. Just keep the mouth shut up!
This case of stereotyping and judging a person before getting to know them is very common,i used to do it before but that was until the day i heard two contradictory stories of the same person, i decided to ignore both stories and get to know the person for myself…hearing something about someone is one thing, getting to know the person and seeing for yourself if those things You were told are true is another…and also we should not be so idle to concern ourselves with every bit and story of a person’s life,its better to spend that time and energy improving yourself than on judging and condemning people you do not know.
I find myself under the gavel of this awesome piece. Stereotypes limit our appreciation of the variety of human beings out there. This is really true as it beclouds our sense of lucid judgement.
Truth be told, I think am a victim in this issue. Since people now see people who are short as really wicked and cold-hearten people that does not have any kernel of kindness in them. But I will still advise them with this my substantial quote “being evil and utmost kindness is not written in ones skin or face but really deepen in ones soul”. So those who indulge in this act abstain from it and try to strengthen and affirm faith of those they have offended.
sterotyping is very ramphant in the nigerian society, people tend to sterotype allot without even knowing or trying to know the person. this makes the person sterotyped to have low self esteem and to withdrew themselves from their peers and activites. sterotyping has brought a negative trend to persons who are sterotyped. we shouldnt sterotype because it leaves the victim mentally and emotionally distured
This is a wonderful post ma which can be seen as a daily problem faced by people especially teens and their peers.people shouldnt be sterotyped for any reason due to the heavy negative effect it causes in the victim, sterotyping should be treated as a serious issue in teens matter and how to handle it.
The danger of single story. we have grown to get ourselves avoiding certain things, people, not because we have experienced them but because we heard something about them. Stereotype has eaten deep in nature of man. This write up needs to be read before every 9pm news in NTA. Thanks aunty
What would Christ do? That should be a question we should ask ourselves as Christians as we go along our daily activities. Stereotyping is not a christian act. We are ambassadors for Christ.
Interesting one ma, this is what is becoming feasible in our society today, people castigating others for nebulous reasons best known to them, which holds logical inclination forgetting the proverb” a book is not Judged by its cover”. Also in the aspect of our religion today, people tend to be more christer than Christ Himself
And usually condemn their fellow Christian because they might not be dressing, they cut short of making huge offering in church or may be failed to attend a church services.
Quiet unmindful of the verse that said ”it is not everybody that shout the name of God will make heaven.
Stereotype!!! These has brought about inequality in our society, it has bent the unity in our society; organizations. At times we hold full conclusion on somebody style of life without any ray of contact no interaction.
Stereotyping happens everyday within our personal thoughts, OK in Nigeria the Igbo men are seen as money ritualists.. Especially if he is a successful Anambra man.. OK some individual still assume Edo or Benin indigene as clans of witchcraft.
The Hausa’s are been regarded as illiterate and gatemen, You see all these stigma has unhealthy impact in our society..
Talking of stereotype reminds me of my primary school days, they was this popular saying that women with bears are always wicked, so as a child I grew up having that at the back of my mind… They happen to be this gorgeous lady teacher in my school but the fact that she has bears made me develop ill feelings towards her even though I haven’t made any encounter with her, but this feelings changed after I graduated from her class, I got to find out that she was indeed nice infact I could say she was the nicest among all my teachers back in primary school… Now isn’t that funny.
Stereotype has really done more harm than good to our society.
This is so true. The internet has now created a platform for people to air all kind of rubbish thoughts against their fellow humans. Online bullies are now rampant body shaming others not knowing how it affects them psychologically(some go to the extent of committing suicide as a result of this). It is really sad. Stereotyping is not the way forward at all.
Sterotype!! I know of a friend that thinks another friend of ours is dirty, simply because she is fat!!!??? In one way or the other we are all guilty of it .. some traditional believes handed down to us by are parents are not only tribalistic but are sterotypes… The essences of this post is that we be educated well enough to put an end to it, first in our I individual lives and also influence others around us to know and do the right thing!!! Thanks ma.. this is a rich post!!
At times, I wonder why people succumb to some belief they are not sure of just because it seems to have gone viral and they end up being judgemental about it? There is this perception that short people are mostly strong-hearted or rude because of their height and that most single successful ladies are harsh and always appear unfriendly as a result of frustration, not knowing that it is not always the case. I think it’s high time we put an end to stereotype.
This is wonderful Aunty,ok let’s go this way, Not everyone that comes from a certain state is timid or ugly, you can still see beautiful and ugly people in every state. this is really an interesting topic ma. judging people from afar is the mistake we make, we feel if we do not like a particular thing, every other person that does it is wrong.stereotype is really a bad attitude we should curb in our society.
Stereotypes are the worst things ever! They manage to say everything and nothing about you. I personally don’t think highly of people who rely on stereotypes to make judgment because it shows how shallow they think.
A person is so much more than their body size or shape, skin colour or profession and the earlier we take note of this, the more we reduce stereotyping.
This has become a norm in the society, especially the social media society and it’s sad. People have decided not to look beyond the cover of the book. I am happy that you touched this delicate topic and I believe it would be an eye opener to those who read it. Most people like following the trend without a proper evaluation of the subject of the trend. It takes just giving attention to this kind of teaching for one to be out of such assumptions. Just like u rightly said, many are victims of these hasty generalizations and conclusions.
Why do people always derive pleasure or joy in seeing the worst of humans. One would say it is dehumanizing and against what one should stand for. Stereotyping your fellow human is uncalled for and it is highly brings down optimism and morale of talented and fruitful people.
The issue of stereotype is not the order of the day, even between different Christian denominations, for instance a deeper life member will stereotype Catholic and other denominations in the aspect holiness and all that and this have become so rampant on social media, people tend to through comments on issues they know nothing about, they throw Comment arrogantly and ignorantly creating commotion around we follow trending without bothering to know the bigning . Thanks a lot ma for the post and i pray God to give us the grace and mind to mind our business and not to judge others.
The issue of stereotype is something that the social media world has turned into a culture. It’s as if to be successful in life, you have to look a certain way or not. What they really miss is that it’s not all about appearance but content. So we have to look past the physical to know the worth of someone. Appearance doesn’t matter. What matt matters is what we have to offer to the world.
I have gotten to found that most people who bad mouth people are either jealous, envious or has low self-esteem.They don’t grow themselves but instead they love to tear others down.I can still remember when fat people were considered dirty and loud but now the world celebrate them calling them”thick”.That’s the world for you,Learn to love yourself and continue to develop your self.
The truth is most of us involved in stereotyping people have not got a base for our conclusion, we simply subscribe to the hearsay phenomenon. If one is asked why he or she says yorubas are dirty, they actually don’t know, they just heard someone say so and decided to stick with it, the person who said so (the originator), might have had just one encounter with a person from the Yoruba tribe and comes to a false, hastily generalized conclusion which is wrong. We all should avoid stereotyping others and learn to give them a chance.
Stereotyping in my own opinion is another form of discrimination and it is evil and inimical to growth and socialization of people. Do not judge people or pigeon hole them into your perceived character traits and use this biased opinion of yours against them. Not every poor man is a lazy ass and not every ENUGU EZIKE person is bad or evil. Before you judge someone,try and conduct a proper research or at least establish a form friendship with the person so that you can talk about the person in an objective way……
Very interesting one madam. making judgments and assumptions about people without knowing them for me is a sin. It is better for all of us to make every earnest effort to dispel stereotyping others.
I see no reason why one should judge and another without proper clarification. So you judging base on appearance is plain ignorance and it should not be practiced.
It is not true that ladies who are richer are usually not humble or submissive especially in marriage!!! These terrible belief has made ladies leave below their potentials in this part of our world. They don’t want to be seen as proud, or not submissive, so they don’t take up good job, have big dreams or give it expression.
Stereotyping is simply bad, and should be stopped.
Thank you for this post Ma.
True, dear! I’ve seen a situation where a man refused to marry educated, working ladies and picked a village girl in Primary 4 for a wife, yet he found her so rude and uncontrollable that they fought very often. An illiterate person may not reason as broadly as a literate one and a mature, exposed lady knows the importance of building her home but the illiterate girl didn’t think anything was at stake. She was not scared by threats of being sent home because she had low aspirations and would gladly settle for any other man that came along no matter his status. It would have been a funny irony if not that it was so painful and the girl was breeding like a rabbit with no idea of how to care for the children.
Some of the things I learnt here is that we should not judge a book by its cover just like the book of john 7:24 said, that we should look beneath the surface so that we can judge correctly.
Also, I learnt that we should not be in a haste to judge, castigate or chastise others.
Stereotyping is a big issue especially in our society today. Repeated experiences of stereotype threat can lead to a vicious circle of diminished confidence, poor performance, and loss of interest in the relevant area of achievement. It is important to avoid stereotyping so as not tot ruin peoples life.
Wow. This is one of the most interesting topic so far. because it speaks to me. i have suffered stereotyping over the years from foes and friends alike. People look at me and concluded that i am a wild girl raised in a morally low background.This has been a thing for botheration for me but i have learnt to overlook these things that with the mindset that if people don’t talk about you then you are a nobody
We should learn to live a life of not judging people, it is said”do not judge a book by its cover” we should be patient and wait to see the outcome of that book likewise we as humans.
I love this post so much, it actually portrays what happens now, people degrade themselves because of all these same stereotypes,wish all those can come see this post, these same stereotypes make fat people not like the way they are thereby going for plastic surgery to remove fat and all which can result to killing. These should stop. I’m soo happy that I read this post, thanks Miss Edith.
Many of us are guilty of this without even knowing. We tend to point fingers or jump to conclusions without fully comprehending issues. Let us learn to stop judging people and appreciate what comes from the inside, not their physical appearance or achievements
It will be difficult to remove stereotypes from the society presently, we can only reduce it by enlightening people and trying to change people’s mentality because people’s mindset have been deeply eaten into which it makes it difficult for the society to progress especially in Nigeria.I think if we start teaching the younger ones/kids/new generation the correct way of life and discouraging stereotype will completely wipe off the issue of stereotyping in this society.
Although I got the point you made Ma about stereotypes, do you mean then that castigation is only allowed from people who have enough knowledge about the person or issue being discussed. I for one, would say don’t judge at all, you could point out observations and weigh it with standards of living right, advise, chastise, correct and not judge causes we are not in the place to as we have no idea what those persons are going through. The Lord looks upon the heart and wants us to do likewise and since we can’t as humans, all we can do is live as Christ and as examples set for others to see.
You can read the two guest posts by Joleisa and another guest post by Paul Ugoagwu. They provide a balanced interpretation of this judge not idea. Bless you!
Stereotypes are not healthy to any nations growth because it causes division amongst people, having ideologies about people based on their culture or race is not nice..thank you ma for this eye opener
Human are not perfect in one way or the another we all are guilty of this on purpose or not.it not really good and should be corrected .we should just love ourselves no matter shape or colour. Nice write up.
Some girls can play video games and football. Stop body shaming. I think its one of the worse stereotyping of today. Girls that are endowed are praised and looked upon but girls that have less of anything are shamed and put in the back seat.
Not all disabled person is unable to do anything… For instance, a visually impaired person. People tend to assume that a blind person cannot be useful to him or herself and to the society at large because of their condition which is not true. They are many blind people who are talented and successful. I have a blind friend who loves writing and singing and he is making his own money. People should really find out more about a particular thing before generalising it.
Knocking down stereotypes is very important in our society today. Everyone suddenly thinks their opinion about certain things matter so much. They try to pull others down with their own definitions of how to go about things. The funny thing here is that these people actually don’t have the courage to say all these things to you in real life and this is where you should feel comforted because their opinions about your life do not really matter. Social media is actually the cause of this because it has given even the unworthy the opportunity to pull others down. People don’t really understand that being stereotyped is very wrong because most of the times, people prove that they are above what the society think they are .
Stereotypes are indeed misleading; sometimes, or if not all the time…
Leading a life ridden with making decisions based solely on stereotypes can indeed be ‘disastrous’!
I wonder sometimes how and why some individuals bank so much on stereotypes… Making it difficult for them to see or rather access people or situations naturally
Isaiah 141vs3 is the solution to this issue of stereotype. Because when the Lord should set a watch before our mouths, and keep the door of our lips we will not just see things and say it the way it is, but the deeper understanding of such things will be considered.
we should not easily go into conclusion about someone or something, we should verify that’s think before you talk. God bless you real good for this wonderful poem.
Stereotyping is really a bad thing, it makes people just assume and not actually take their time to get to know a particular person before judging them. worst thing is that’s the way of Nigerians,one time my father scolded my brother about keeping his hair and also trying to transition to dreadlocks. He compared him to my cousin who was on low cut asking him “if the police should come here and sees the both of you who will they arrest?” I would have told my child the same thing not because i don’t want him to do the things he fancies but for his safety. The rate of myopic judgements among Nigerians needs to be worked on to a great length.
Stereotype is a cankerworm in our society today, it has eaten deep into our society. As an young Akwa ibomite,I have suffered stereotyping! Whenever I mention my state, what comes to people mind esp guys is “Oh I heard you guys can cook, Oh I heard you guys are good on the bed” I refuse to be that stereotype. This is one of my best post here ma! Bless You.
Sometimes stereotyping is something you cannot help. However, it would be wise to think through before we conclude or judge. Besides, we are not even to judge anyone in the first place because no one is above error.
The stereotype i hate the most is the one that portrays Africans as poor and always in need of charity. The media is always quick to show us pictures of hungry and dirty children. While it is important to create awareness so these people can be helped, they should also show the good parts of Africa so we can stop getting questions like “do you have houses in Africa”, or “do you have bookshops in Africa?”. its so annoying
Stereotyping is very bad. I personally don’t value people who rely solely on stereotypes to make judgment because it shows how shallow they think.
Not every Male in dread is a thief. Not every person in rag is mad. “Dont judge and you wont be judged.”
Some people think they are master of knowledge…
*# it’s not every poor old woman that is a witch…
*#Being poor as a Christian does not make one a true Christian…
*#Going to church everyday doesn’t make one righteous before God…
Etc.
Stereotype is not good as it prevents one from gaining true knowledge of something.
I’ve been so blessed by this post, we should look at people through the eye of God, not looking at their appearance.. I’m so guilty of this stereotyping of a thing, body shaming people, looking at ladies that have money or quite comfortable and expose their bodies as loose. May God forgive me..
Thanks for this eye opener, I hope to get better by the day. Not judging people based their outward appearance.
God bless you Aunty Edith. I feel so sorry for all these judgmental people who are so quick to judge, if only they know how shallow they are!! Seeing you on dreads, “you’ve gone wild”, on trousers, ” you’re loose”, you hang out with guys, “you’ve definitely started sleeping around”. What a judgemental world!
Who are we to judge? People are quick to judging others without taking a good look at the situation or person before making a final decision which is not a Christian thing to do. People are different and so have different opinions about things. Nice post ma.
Stereotyping people is a weak mental effort. Atleast get to know that person personally before passing judgment. That said, not all mother in-laws are wicked. A while ago I read a post on Twitter where a lady vowed never to marry a man that the mother is still alive. Why? She’ve already banked on the popular but wrong stereotype of mother in-laws being wicked which is ridiculous to say the least. Also ladies Not every boy trying to get your attention is trying to chyke you, listen to what they have to say first. Thank you ma and God bless you for this topic
I sometimes find myself guilty of this charge. Passing judgement without proper information. Iv had to correct myself several times on that. I sounds lot smarter when I stage an argument or discussion based on first hand information. Thank you ma
Many people will say, a girl not being able to have a child when married means she lived a dirty life in her youthful days, some will say a woman is always the cause of a failed marriage, or rape victims are those set of girls that live a careless life, or there is no decent girl in the University in this 21st century. Yeah, many people will say this, all because of ignorance.
Stereotyping is something we see in our every day live and almost everybody including me is guilty. But it wrong and needs to be controlled not every fat girl is ugly, not every Moslem are terrorist, not all rich men are ritualist and not every suffering man is paying for a sin. Thank u
What a mean and cruel world when it comes to this topic people can say nasty and false things to sometimes get you angry, that is what makes peopled happy,to ses someone down, they analyse,criticise and make certain conclusion about people without getting the real picture.the blame game and the sacrificial lamb they always love.
I have personally experienced the rough side of stereotypes especially the body shaming aspect. As an overweight kid in secondary school, there was always the taunts and snide remarks about my weight. Because of this I embarked on an extremely strict diet and exercise regime and I became anorexic.
I thought this would help but the it didn’t. People now started making comments about my skinniness and how I looked like a patient in a hospital. Then, I finally understood a principle of life; being skinny or plump doesn’t make you beautiful, what makes you beautiful lies much deeper.
Your heart!
This post speaks to me a whole ot.
First of all,bodyshaming has become the order of the day.people would tell me “nne,do u know you are fat?” Or “oh! Reduce a little so ur shape can come out”and i wonder if God created me for them and not myself.well,i have learnt to look beyond these comments and live fr who makes me who i am. Thank u ma .
Very true, stereotyping has been an everyday thing in our present society, especially with social media as an aid. We must all learn not to Judge people from afar so as to be able to appreciate their true qualities.
In my opinion, nobody is physically ugly, beauty comes from within and surfaces on the outside.
It irks me to see people hide behind their keyboards and leave spiteful body shaming comments on people’s pictures and videos.
The ones who even have the boldness to tell it to your face are the most annoying ones.
I believe that if we practice self love, these things that people say would never get to us, cos we already know our flaws and we have come to love the flaws we can’t change.
The content of a thing should not be judged by the container, generally, it is believed that fat people emit foul smell but it is not true
All politicians are believed to be ritualist but it is not true
Beautiful and wealthy ladies are seen as bossy but it is not true. Let’s not judge people by the general standard but by what we personally know about them
Stereotypes have become the order of the day especially in Nigeria. People don’t care to hear from both sides before they pass judgements or comments about an issue.
This incites hatred among people making the society unhealthy. Correction should be made with love instead of judging.
Stereotyping has become the norm of the society,it has become something people enjoy,our lord has admonished us to look through him,his mentality,through his eyes,but people always try to see the bad in people that even a good trait visible in that person would not be appreciated at all. A nice post which appeal to us to dish this character.
Steretyping people puts you yourself in the danger of losing sight of how wonderful a person or relationship with the person can be.
See people how you want to be seen. As unique, as different yet beautiful in their own way.
Stereotype is something I will never support. Our differences makes us unique. Also one persons error shouldn’t be a yard stick for judging others.
Thank you Ma. for this post it has really helped in educating me…. Indeed, judging others based on little or no knowledge is bad… This one touched me in particular.
God loves all men and Christ died for all. Whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. There is no respect of persons with God (Romans 2;11). Sterotyping is man made and holds no stand in the light of scripture.
You’re right, Bisi! Thanks for dropping by and remain blessed!