lol i get wat you mean at times i get called a 'black blond' or like a 'black barbie' i mean i dont act dumb im jus sometimes perky lol and i try my best to be on everyones good side<-- that dont mean i suck up to everyone it is the other way.. jokes

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Stereotyping is unavoidable - everyone does it because it's a natural instinctive response. Interestingly on a related subject, when two people fall in love, the judgement part of the brain doesn't engage when they think or interact with their new love meaning that love literally is blind. Two people newly in love don't see a lot of the negative aspects of their girlfriend/boyfriend. Anyways, back on topic.
We may make an assumption in the first two seconds of when we see someone but that assumption does not mean that it is right or that that is how that person really is. Think about someone you've known for a while and then remember what they were like when you first met them and compare it to what you remember of them now - you'll find that there are differences in those memories - the person can even seem to look different. This shows that while our instincts can tell us if someone is trustworthy or not, it can't always tell us what someone's personality is like.
The moral of the story is "don't judge a book by it's cover". Even though your instincts tell you someone may seem a particular way, you should reserve your full judgement until you get to know them better. I freely admit to judging people by their appearance (I can't help it - nobody can) but I will override this instinct and say to myself, that person could be really nice or I should talk to them a bit before I disqualify them just because they look like <xxxxx>. I think that is the difference between a shallow judgmental person and a nice person - a judgemental person will just take what they see for how a person must be.
I only recently got a tattoo and I saw a big difference in how people look at me. It's a very feminine tattoo not something like a flaming skull although it is a very obvious place (on my chest). I'm exactly the same person as I was before the tattoo yet I am treated differently (even by people I know). That's judgemental for you.
I will judge a person by their individual merits, not by their looks. I've known people who looked really 'scary' but were the most nicest, giving people you could ever know. Of course that's not to say that if I see someone that looks like they want to beat the sh** out of me that I'm not going to avoid them, but I think that comes down to body language rather than their actual appearance.
I used to dress very goth (now that I have M.E., it takes too long so I can't be stuffed) just for the very reason that people WOULD judge me - I used it as a way to weed out the judgemental people from the nice. If someone still came up to me despite my appearance and was interested in talking to me, then I knew that they we're more likely to be a halfway decent person.
Try to not to be too judgemental people, you could pass over a person who could end up being your best friend, change your life for the better or become your your husband/wife just because you are stereotyping them

 

 

 

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I have been called few times, not going to say what it was. Yeah, I have gotten over it and its really annoying how people use "lable" on someone. It's because they don't have a life and they wanted to bring someone down. Make them feel back for that person called a person a name. I usually don't helped the person, if someone does it. Then the person will come after you and so fourh.

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Hm, yeah I've been labeled myself. I'm like the person to be avoided in school. I'm really quiet and shy. Though with my friends, I'm all out. The thing is, I only ever avoid them because they are two-faced. They pretend to be nice to you, but they're actually talking to you behind your back. I most definitely don't want to be friends with them, thus the cold shoulder. I don't really enjoy being labeled, though I must admit I've done it... I can't help it. It's more of a stereotype, yes, but I admit I've been wrong at times. I've labeled someone bad one time, but she turned out to be a nice person. Some of my classmates realized that with me. I'm not quiet at all, though they don't have to make a big deal of it. (ie. announcing to the world that "I talked with Kim and she's really talkative!") I guess that's the effect of long-term labelling.

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I dislike the use of "labels" in American Society, mostly because no one fits into an exact label and it makes people be forced to conform. I never really had a label, because I don't fit into any catagory. When I was in middle school I was a combination of "Outcast"/ "Nerd". If there was a label put on me now, I wouldn't even know what to call myself because I don't fit into any catagory now. I'm so glad I'm in college so I don't have to deal with this as much as I did.

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Hee hee, you were a Outcast / Nerd too lol

Anyway, I've noticed that the labeling thing does seem to happen a lot more during high school then any other place that I've been. It was pretty bad back then, and not fun at all. I personally hate labels myself, but still, when I see the stereotypical geek, or jock, or whatever, I still view them as one. I suppose it's what society has engrained into me. I don't think any less of any of them, and wouldn't let it stop me from getting to know the people, or treating them nice, but still in the back of my mind, the thought is there.

By the time I got to college, though the "labels" were still there in principal (I could tell who were the nerds, and who were the social butterflies, etc.) but no one really cared about them. At least in the course that I was in. Everyone were just people. Mind you, I can only speak about the people in my course, because I was never in mixed classes with other programs.

Anyway, I think labels are bad, but I don't think they should limit us in what we do...

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I have been labeled myself and also once was a time that I was proud of it.
About 10 years ago I listened a lot to techno/hardcore/terror music and when you listen to that music and dress to it, here in Holland people call you a 'gabber'. In the beginning I was proud of being one and everytime tourists came or I met a sweet girl I acted like a 'gabber'. ( ) Anyways, after 2 years I got less and less proud of the fact that I acted like one, mainly because most of that people were called racists and nazi's.

I believe most people label themselves and other peoples due to the fact that humans are 'pack-animals' and everyone is trying to identify their own 'pack'. To be honest I never felt (and still I don't) that I'm a part of this society, like being born at the wrong place and time lol so I guess teens would call me an 'outcast' or 'loner' or something.

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Yeah, at my college I could still tell who the nerds and the "social butterflies" where and even a few new onces, such as the "Partiers" and "Mothers", but the social sterotype doesn't have as much of an effect as it did in high school and middle school. College was the first time I actually talked to people without fear of getting "picked on". I don't know wither it was my class I took on arguing or just the fact that everyone was more mature (for the most part), but I felt more at ease talking to people.

Most of the classes I've been in have been mixed classes, with people coming from differnt backgrounds, parts of the world, and compeletly differnt majors. This I think basically makes lables obsolete in college, because your classes can be so mixed that there is no one from your same label and you have to drop all the sterotypes.

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Labels are society's way of saying "I'd rather know about you then know you." We want to be able to put people in a box and think we know them. But we don't. The world's a big scary place when we stop pretending we know everything and everyone. But then the wonder of life around us returns. Plus, it's easier to hate someone if you think you know them. People like to hate Christians because they convince themselves everyone who's a Christian is a certain way. In fact, I just replied to another topic in this category where someone was ranting against all meat-eaters, religious people, SUV users, capitalists, and republicans. As I pointed out, that includes most of the known world. If we say all meat-eaters are jerks and convince ourselves of it, it's easy to hate them and be indignant of them. But as a Christian I believe one of my first priorities is to love and forgive everyone no matter what they've done, just as God's forgiven me. By saying I'm guilty with everyone else, it opens me up to show grace, love, and mercy to everyone even as God has shown such things to me. Now that I think about it, perhaps labels are people's way of having an excuse to look down their noses at those who are different from them, perhaps to stress their individuality, uniqueness, and prideness.

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Hey you know what you are so right.
I wear plain clothing, jeans and a normal shirt, I am not a so called emo, goth, chav or anything stupid like that, I'm me - end of...
I get called a goth if I wear anything dark coloured, a chav if I wear anything light or go for a jog in tracksuits, an emo if I have a music related (rock/metal) shirt or hoodie, a trouble maker if I wear a hoody, I mean what am supposed to wear?? You know once I was down at the beach, I hate orange shorts on, and no top, and I have natural dark brown hair, short, no dies or anything, and this guy goes ' u f***** goth ' and I turned and said what?? me?? what do you mean I dont get it , and all I got was a load of swear words as he walked off? I mean why do that? It seems pointless... Anyway, that feels better.. thanks for your time and great topic..

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