STEREOTYPES DON'T DEFINE ME

One thing I have realized about human beings is that we tend to judge people based on certain factors, such as their appearance, religion, or tribe. I try as much as possible not to judge people but get to know them for who they really are. I remember when I was younger, whenever I saw people, especially those with strong faces, I would conclude that I didn't like that person and that they would never be my friend. If it were somebody older, I would try as much as I can to always avoid them, but as I grew older, I realized that human beings have outer shells and sometimes, the outer shells can be deceptive. You can meet someone who looks really mean physically, but deep down, they are the sweetest people in the world. On the other hand, you can also meet someone who looks sweet on the outside, but their inside is as dead as a doorknob.

Whenever I meet a new person, there is this human tendency to judge them based on what they are wearing, where they are from, or the way they speak. But I have trained myself to learn to overlook these things and get to know them first. This brings me to today’s Hive Learners’ topic; STEREOTYPES. What is your experience with stereotypes and have you been able to overcome them? Do you think it is best to ignore stereotypes? I have so many experiences with stereotypical opinions coming from left and right. Most of them are hilarious and the fact that I have gotten these comments from many people makes them more hilarious.

The most common one is that I am very gentle and wouldn't hurt a fly. Don’t jump into conclusions yet, I am not saying that I am capable of hurting a fly, but I think to some extent, I am far from being gentle. In school, I hardly talk to people and gist with friends. Of course, there are times when I chat with friends in school and take pictures with them, but most of the time, I am always on my own, minding my business and talking to no one. I have had people come up to me and tell me that I am very gentle. Yes, I am very gentle, but when I am with people I am comfortable with, I laugh, talk, and play. If people who say I am gentle should see me conversing with my dad and siblings, I am sure they wouldn't see me the same way again.

Some people have also called me names because I can't speak my native language. According to them, I don’t care about my culture. Language is an important part of culture and the fact that I am not making conscious efforts to learn it means I don’t care about my culture. People jump into conclusions without even knowing the complete story. I didn't choose to not know how to speak my native language. I wish I could, but since it is not my fault, what should I have done about it. People judge me based on this, and it is untrue. Regardless of the fact that I can’t speak my native language, I am proud of my culture. Compared to the way it was when I was younger, at least I can understand more words better now.

I understand that sometimes it happens like a reflex action to judge people based on their appearance or tribe before we even get to know them. But if we only take some time to pause and get to know them better, we would realize that there are more things to know about them.

Thanks for reading.