After reading some responses in a thread in the general section about old Farangs marrying young Thai girls, I cant help but notice how many people's world views relies on stereotypes rather than informed opinion based on their own observations.

Its surely so wrong, but are all stereotypes incorrect? I often think to myself that they are. Sometimes I feel that we should challenge these trains of thought wherever we see them (including our own).

So why do people do fall back on stereotypes? Do stereotypes help people to understand the world around them? Or is it just human nature to seek out order in chaos , always looking patterns and categories where in fact there might be none at all?

In My Opinion stereotypes help people to make collective groups to explain tendencies and traits. As humans we tend to look for order and symmetry. Something that is outside that tends to attract our eye and create dissonance.

The stereotypes of horoscopes, Jungian, and Freudian are collectives that show similar tendencies. This does not mean that ALL Leo Males are the same but they have similar personality traits. Similarly groups used by psychologists eg Meyer & Briggs show that people who show similar tendencies are similarly grouped. It does NOT mean they will react or do the same thing the same way.

I think stereotypes have their place in psychology and anthropology but they are dangerous if used incorrectly. The most common mistake is when people without the requisite knowledge use tests, groupings or stereotypes to support their argument that "well you are group Blah therefore you will do or be ..... <insert prejudice here>"

CB

Stereotypes work under the principle of human reactions to catergorise people. It has the same principles as socio econimic groupings, another way in which we class each other without thought of character and the person within the group. I do believe that stereotyping a person is wrong and usually misled. The OP states "old Farangs marrying young Thai girls" this will always be a common backlash towards Thailand and marriage as that is how it is percieved and it does have high number of older men marrying younger women, compared to for example the EU.

People will always tried and alienate what they do not understand, I however wish all the men and women goodluck in thier marriages and hope it is as sweet as mine (non stereotypical I am young and so is the Missus)!

Stereotyping comes in handy when you don't feel like wasting original thought on people that wouldn't appreciate it any way.

It's like gogo bars, the Australian press are in a feeding frenzy because the leader of the opposition went into a girly bar in New York four years ago. The pro-Government media are trying to paint him as some sort of a sex tourist, and no doubt he'd fall into that category with people who like stereotypes.

Unfortunately for the powers of darkness his popularity rating went up in the next poll.

I'd be curious to see how many of our members would fall into "unfit to lead the country" stereotype because of a similar error of judgment.

If we stereotype a stereotype, are we not guilty of stereotyping?

I don't like stereotyping, so i guess i can't comment now

If we stereotype a stereotype, are we not guilty of stereotyping?

I don't like stereotyping, so i guess i can't comment now

unless it is monotyping. Is stereotyping when you use both hands to do keyboard entry?

CB

If we stereotype a stereotype, are we not guilty of stereotyping?

I don't like stereotyping, so i guess i can't comment now

unless it is monotyping. Is stereotyping when you use both hands to do keyboard entry?

CB

Is it not a record player joined to a typwriter, ie stereotype?

If we stereotype a stereotype, are we not guilty of stereotyping?

I don't like stereotyping, so i guess i can't comment now

unless it is monotyping. Is stereotyping when you use both hands to do keyboard entry?

CB

Is it not a record player joined to a typwriter, ie stereotype?

I thats the case then the word needs updating.

i.e. Record player is now a Compact Disc Player

and typewriter is a Word Proccessor

so now we have the word "Compact-proccessing" when trying to pigeon hole people into categories

That was a long wait for not a lot of pleasure (waiting for that picture to load.

Now I know how the missus feels.

so now we have the word "Compact-proccessing" when trying to pigeon hole people into categories

And they will eventually evolve into P-holes

In a desperate bid to get this thread back on topic

I think there are stereotypes. Different nationalities are stereotypes due to cultural and historical differences. That does not mean every individual has those characteristics nor does it mean that people share all of the characteristics but it is a reasonable thing to assume that within the collective they share common characteristics. What becomes dangerous is when people project on those tendencies to make blanket statements.

I have seen so many examples of this:

"oh that is typical of you Americans"

"Such an English thing to say"

"all you Australians are descendents of convicts"

"kiwi sheep shaggers" - hmmmmm ok that last one is correct

CB