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The Dangers of Stereotypes

by the Rev. Paul McLain

 

One danger we all face is falling into the trap of stereotyping others. In our Wednesday evening study of David Brooks’s How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others and Being Deeply Seen, we learn that one thing that blocks us from seeing another person is “essentialism.”

 

Brooks writes: “Essentialism is the belief that certain groups have an ‘essential’ and immutable nature. Essentialists imagine that people in one group are more alike than they really are. They imagine that people in other groups are more different from ‘us’ than they really are. Essentialists are guilty of ‘stacking.’ This is the practice of learning one thing about a person and then making a series of assumptions about that person. If this person prefers X, they must also be like this, this, this, and this.”

 

Jesus saw the multiple dimensions of the persons he encountered. He recognized the deep faith of a centurion in the occupying Roman army. Jesus received the hug of a grateful leper who was perceived as unclean and taboo by most people. He told the story of a despised Samaritan as being the only one to offer help to a man who was beaten and robbed. Jesus broke apart stereotypes and focused on seeing the whole person.

 

Perhaps one way we can break out of stereotyping is to have one-on-one conversations with persons with whom we are different or with whom we disagree. Perhaps we will discover that we share a human essence that goes far beyond any notions of essentialism.

 

The prophet Isaiah writes: “You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.” This is how we help God bring heaven to earth. This vital repair and restoration project begins with seeing one another not as stereotypes but as whole persons, beloved children of God worthy of being fully and deeply seen.

 

 


6 thoughts on “The Dangers of Stereotypes”

    1. Dale,
      You’re welcome. I think we’ve all been guilty of stereotyping. Hopefully, we together can find ways to see others in multiple dimensions as we would wish to be seen.
      Love and Blessings,
      Paul

  1. Thank you Paul. Similar thoughts have popped up in my life in the recent past and it bothered me quite a bit and I was actually thinking about it again this morning. And, here you are. I really wish people could simply speak to the other and find out exactly….. instead of assuming…..
    Thats what I always hope for!!!☺️

    1. Zada,
      You’re welcome. I think a lot of it begins with taking time to really listen, which is so hard to do. We’ll work and hope for deeper understanding that goes beyond surface assumptions.
      Love and Blessings,
      Paul

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