[Pikachu_PM]

Not trying to throw oil on a burned out fire here...but I do want to point out that there is absolutley nothing wrong with stereotyping and making general statments. People stereotype everyday...it's how we think, how we organize our thoughts, how we process information. The problem with stereotyping only occurs when:

(a) the assumption of the stereo type is wrong (ie..black people can't fly planes because they have worse eyes than white people) or

(b) The person stereotyping can't or won't recognize that there are exceptions to the stereo type (i.e...women are submissive, therefore my new girlfriend that just came out of the bathroom wearing black leather and holding a whip would like me to take charge now).

Women are smarter than men.
Conservatives are anti-gay rights
Christians are intolerant
Liberals are for redistribution of wealth

All of those as generalities hold true...and to state such things about a large body of ppl is not 'wrong' SO LONG AS it is understood that these ARE generalities and one is able to stay open-minded and recognize evidence that makes certain individuals contrary to the 'whole'

My favorite is the women being smarter than men....in general that is true. Most women are smarter than most men...HOWEVER, the smartest people on the planet are almost all men (as are the dumbest).

[ 12-06-2003, 03:05 PM: Message edited by: Pikachu_PM ]