Stereotypes

I am guessing that a lot of us have come across people who tend to stereotype us before getting to know us solely based on looks. If we're honest with ourselves, most of us probably do fit some characteristics of some stereotypes, but probably not all of them. For example, if you do not go by grades (since I have always had trouble in subjects like History, Geography, and Science), I fit the stereotype personality of a nerd. I love to read, I love to learn, I love doing puzzle books, etc. Heck, I read dictionaries, thesauruses, and encyclopedias for fun when I was a kid. If that doesn't fit the stereotype of a nerd, I don't know what does.   :)

Stereotypes aside, everybody is a unique individual and should have the opportunity for people to know them as they are; not as a stereotype. I have always been short and slender which many people seem to automatically presume is a weak stature. However, just because someone is short and slender does not mean necessarily they are weak just as somebody who is tall and big does not necessarily mean they are strong. There are strong and weak individuals of every race and body type.

Another stereotype I have come across lately is people assuming all girls want to eat salads. There were two different restaurants I have been recently where my husband ordered a salad and the server; without asking who ordered the salad; assumed that I was the one who ordered the salad and placed it in front of me. While I am all for healthy eating and exercising, I am not really a salad person. I like lettuce, but my closest thing to salads is lettuce with just some ketchup on top of it. I know that sounds weird to some people, but that is how I like my lettuce.

Personally, I think society is to blame for a lot of these stereotypes, including that certain toys and activities are only for girls or only for boys. I have noticed that it seems that boys tend to get more backlash for doing something that is a "girls' activity" than girls do for doing something that is a "boys' activity" and that is just wrong. If a boy or girl enjoys something, than they should be able to do it without worrying about getting made of fun of. Yes, there are physical differences between girls and boys, but aside from getting pregnant naturally and being able to aim where you relieve yourself, boys and girls can do anything the other gender can. No matter what the activity, there are going to be some girls that are better than some guys at it and vice versa, but that has nothing to do with gender. It has to do with that person's individual abilities.

If people did not feel bound to gender roles, do you think it would give them more confidence to do something that interests them despite if it was traditionally ore popular with one gender or the other?