Ok, so before I go and potentially lose the last half hour of my data in Resident Evil after fighting (and dying) to a boss (I really should just say freak it and save) i’ll say this:
Stereotypes, and enforcing those stereotypes is unhealthy and not good when we personally apply them to anyone.
However, we shouldn’t ever necessarily be hostile to people who do. For example, while it is a stereotype to say that men are aggressive and many other things, those are also enforced behaviors of gender roles and may be considered as “manly”. I’ve had extensive discussions with my students on this stuff. It’s truly interesting how society has built up gender roles, and effectively made up what each gender is supposed to do.
Now, that said, there are biological differences between men and women, as from what i’ve been educated on recently, young men are more predisposed to use violence or anger to communicate when they don’t have any other way to do so. There is research that suggest this type of violence can lead to increased toxic masculinity, which then adds to the potential for violence like school shooters. It’s a toxic cycle, quite frankly, and it’s a by product of gender roles, unrealistic standards on youth, as well as a failure of our mental health supports.
However, as easy as it may be to enforce them, we must reject stereotyping others. It comes down to the individual.
Frankly i’ve said it before and I will reiterate it. It shouldn’t matter what race, gender, or ethnicity you are. It comes down to the content of your character, and what you’re doing to make society a better place. Do some people suck? Absolutely, and some people may never change. Does everyone suck? Debatable, and the optimist in me says no.
Do I hate people when they drive and do something dumb? Perhaps, as I get frustrated when I drive to work in the morning for example. Do some of my black male students say homophobic things in my class? Yes, which I use to try and challenge that thinking. They aren’t perfect. I’m not perfect. Most people aren’t. If you expect everyone to be perfect 100% of the time, then I promise you, you’re going to be very disappointed.
You have to take the good with the bad, and hold onto hope that people, and society at large, will change for the better.
But in the meantime, love each other! Love gets us further than hate...even if that means trying to let the heart of a white supremacist know that they are in fact human beings too. They may be misguided, there can be no doubt. But something probably caused that person to think that way, they weren’t born with that hate.
At least, the optimist in me says that.