Sample Student Essay—Summary-and-Response—Example #1

A summary of, followed by a response to, Robert Heilbroner’s essay “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments.”                           

     In his essay “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments,” Robert Heilbroner opens with several questions for the reader in regard to stereotypes. It is the author’s belief that stereotypes contribute to many problems all over the world, and they are not based on facts. He explores how people develop stereotypes, and the harm they can inflict on people. The author defines stereotypes as “. . . a kind of gossip about the world, a gossip that makes us prejudge people before we ever lay eyes on them” (34). Heilbroner uses examples of studies that have been conducted to further demonstrate the effect that stereotypes have on a person’s judgment and suggests that we live in a world where we have come to rely on stereotypes. The author makes some very valid points in regard to the origins of stereotypes, how they restrict us, and how we can break the cycle.

Heilbroner says that we are exposed to stereotypes early in life. We are exposed to these stereotypes with such frequency that it becomes difficult to discern fact from fiction. I believe that there is a lot of truth in the author‘s thoughts. I have my own biases when I hear references to different things, and often these references bring up thoughts from my childhood. If I hear a name that was familiar to me in my childhood, I associate that person with that memory. Another reason the author says we stereotype is that “. . . it helps us make sense out of a highly confusing world . . .” (35). He basically says that it is much easier to define people before we actually see them. When I read this I was thinking of an expansive file box that is very well organized, and as we go along our day to day business, we pick people up and place them into the various categories within our file box.

Heibroner uses the term “mentally lazy” to describe the effects of using stereotypes (35). I found a lot of truth in that statement; if we have a place for everyone within a specific category, we don’t have to stop and try to figure people out. Using stereotypes to define people hurts the individuals who are labeled, but it also hurts the person doing the labeling. If people frequently use stereotypes to define people, they close the doors to new experiences and rob ourselves of any mental stimulation. Lack of mental stimulation results in the loss of a person’s individuality. Instead of a person striving to be like themselves, they strive to be what other people think of them. The author states that stereotyping people turns into a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy; basically that a man with a limited view on the world only limits himself.

     The author suggests the notion of change, and he realistically states “the true process of change is a slow one that adds bits and pieces of reality to the pictures in our head, until gradually they take on some of the blurriness of life itself” (Heilbroner 35). He further suggests steps that we as individuals can take to help break the cycle of stereotyping. We can begin by raising our awareness to stereotypes that we hold, reflect on judgments that we make to see if they are based on fact or personal bias, and be wary of categorizing people.

Heilbroner’s essay reminds us to look beyond our prejudgments and let ourselves really see people for who they are, not who we think they might be. Above that, his essay is intended to raise awareness of the harm that can come from stereotyping people. Instead of limiting our perceptions by stereotyping, we should be supportive of our own individuality as well as everyone else’s. We should celebrate the fact that we have the liberty to be individuals, and we should not use stereotypes that diminish that liberty.

Work Cited

Heilbroner, Robert. "Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments." National Relationships Review 22 August 2002: 34-37.