Example #2

The “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments” Essay

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In Robert L. Heilbroner’s essay, “Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments”, he explains how the stereotypical ideas about people are not necessarily always correct. An example he used was that most people can get an image of a person just by hearing their name.  Such as use “for example” instead if you asked a college girl who she would rather go on a blind date with, a guy named Richard or a  guy named Cuthbert, she would most likely pick Richard.  He also goes on to say that “stereotypes are a kind of gossip about the world, a gossip that makes us prejudge people before we ever lay eyes on them” (Heilbroner 348) if you mention the author’s name beforehand, you need only include the page number in the parentheses . “The power of stereotypes affects our vision” (Heilbroner 348).

            After reading this essay I came to realize how bad I am influenced by our stereotypical world.  I know that I have been trying, but apparently not enough.  Overlooking someone from the outside and getting to know what is on the inside is my next step for sure.  

            The biggest issue with stereotyping today would be in the business world.  Lets take hiring new employes employees as the main problem.  It may not always be race that is a deciding factor as much as it is sex. Some jobs a woman may be hired over a man due to her nurturing nature.  On the other hand a man may be hired over a woman due to the fact that (use “because”instead) he may be stronger.  In some cases the sex of a person may be the deciding factor on whether they even get a call.

            After reading the section about the names, (add a quote here) I came to realized that I have done this.  When we hire a new person at work their name is put up on the schedule about a week before they start.  I immediately put an image of the person in my head according to their name.  When they finally start I can see that they are completely different from what I thought that they would be.  I have also not spoken to some of the new people because they look like someone that I wouldn’t like.   This has been proven wrong.  About half of the ones that I didn’t talk to because of how they looked have turned out to be some of my best friends.  This goes to show how badly stereotyping is burned into our mind.

            In our schools today stereotyping is the biggest problem. (perhaps mention Heilbroner in this paragraph) When was the last time you went to a school and saw everyone mixed together?  I sure have never seen this.  There are always the jocks, geeks, cheerleaders and so on.  They are so caught up on being a part of a group that they are afraid of getting to know someone else from another group.  They think that since they look different that “their” group may not accept them.  This may be the issue because of how they are being brought up.  I know that I’m not the only one who grew up with stereotypical parents and grandparents.

            There would be a whole lot less hatred in this world if everyone would just stop and really get to know just one person at a time.  If they would just stop worrying about what they think the person may be like and just talk to them, I sure that one day we won’t even know what the word stereotype means. (Mention Heilbroner in your conclusion as well)