THIS I BELIEVE - NIKOLAI

I’m sure you’ve had at least one person give you a weird look, even though you don’t know who they are or who they are. They just judged you on appearance. They believe in a stereotype.

Regardless of this, or how common it is, there is no such thing as a universally true stereotype.
This is a simple belief, and even if people disagree, they cannot prove it wrong. It is a fact. You can say all people of [group] are [thing], but you’re wrong. If you’re right, it’s not a stereotype. And if it’s not a stereotype, it's not an issue. It is then not an opinion, which may be offensive, put simply. If I said “All adults are rude,” I’d be wrong. That’s a simple stereotype. Point out even a single outlier, and you’ve proven someone wrong in their stereotypical beliefs.

One moment I can point out here that I’ve had to learn this was when I was playing an online game, and when I tried to talk to someone they said something rude. I don’t remember what they said, but I eventually got it out if them that a person from a very large group of people/community I was also in had caused their friend to commit suicide, and immediately assumed I was also evil for it. I eventually became their friend, If I remember correctly, and learned a bit of the story that their friend had been harassed to the point of no return by one or maybe 2 more people of the same community as me. They had also since met one or two more, who were also rude in various ways, which had driven them to their beliefs at the time. I managed to tell them that they were just unlucky in who they met, and that there were many more like those bullies but also far more who were much kinder.

I have no idea what happened to this person, and I don’t even remotely remember their name. I do not blame them for what they believed. There is no shame in it once you understand the entire situation. But if you continue on this belief and actively hunt people out on it while ignoring any opposing reason, there is much shame.

This does not often come up in day to day life, but I have gotten into arguments about it. Regardless, such a belief does not interfere or help with any goals or achieving said goals in any form that I can think of. The only time it changes how I interact with people is if I notice any prejudice from them. At that point, I either try to get some reason into them, or leave them alone/block them before anything happens. I haven’t asked my friends if they believe the same thing, but I’m 99% certain that they would. With the backgrounds of the people I know, they’d agree that; There simply is no such thing as a true stereotype.

This I believe.