Observations about stereotyping, misperceptions, and the stories we make up about others. |
When we first encounter new people or start new jobs, we seem to have an innate ability to make up our own stories about them as individuals or groups. Unless we take the time to get to know them, these first impressions can remain in our brains forever. I’ve been the victim, if you will of this tendency too many times to count. At work, if our manager goes into a closed-door meeting with almost anyone else, we automatically assume they’re talking about us and that it can’t be good, even though we know there are hundreds of other people in the company and dozens of other employees in our department, and a lot of things that are probably more important to discuss. Stereotyping or erroneous assumptions about groups of people can destroy credibility with people who are assumed to be in a group—sometimes of millions of people—that you think can be lumped under a single generic label . . . like ‘independent voters’ or ‘senior citizens.’ It bugs the hell out of me! Take Another Look... Please! is a personal essay that relates a few of the experiences I’ve had--in personal relationships and at work--in my life and my reactions to those experiences. |
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