5 reasons why I hate generalisations
EXAMPLE #1:
- Nationality (i.e. All Chinese are shy and non-confrontational, she must be “traditional”, a “good” girl)
+ Physical qualities (i.e. She’s thin and tall like those in the movies, must be a model, so she must be dull and dumb)
+ Accent (i.e. She has a local accent, she must be scared to speak English with a foreigner but likes to be with White people to look cool)
___________________
= shy, traditional, dull and dumb model, but is a good girl, who likes to be with White people to show off but prefers not to talk to them
And she turns out to be a fast-thinking lawyer educated in Asia and Europe, and has a personal dislike for arrogant white people. Uhh, really?!
EXAMPLE #2:
- Nationality (i.e. All English people in HK are rednecks who only know how to drink, talk loud, get laid)
+ Asian wife (i.e. He probably picked her up at a bar in Wan Chai)
+ Likes Japanese films (i.e. Either he’s being pretentious or he only watches Japanese porn)
___________________
= redneck Brit who’s always drunk, has a hooker for a wife while he sleeps around and tries to sound intellectual by watching Asian movies
He turns out to be an English professor with a PhD in world history, speaks 8 languages fluently including Chinese, and is a consultant for some Japanese friends who work as independent film directors of cultural movies. Oh yeah, his wife has two PhDs and is a practicing judge. They met at Oxford. Uhh, really?!
**************************
Well, I could go on and give countless examples, but you get the point. I have to say that there’s nothing wrong with knowing certain generalisations regarding a certain culture/society/group of people etc, because being conscious of certain so-called ‘cultural truths’ that generally apply to the majority can help you gauge and discern what are the best way of approaching people who may be ‘different’ from you to whatever extent.
However, from my meager experience of being raised amidst a crossfire of various cultures, I do believe that there are limits to the advantages brought about by generalisations — albeit to the point of treading the dangerous waters of judgmentalism.
And here are 5 reasons why I detest generalisations (if applied inappropriately and used to make rash judgements):
1. Having stereotypes encourages categorisation of people you don’t even know.
2. Kills curiosity because you think you already know all there is to know about a person based on your stereotypes.
3. Makes you “react to an assumed reaction” which means you can be defensive or offensive depending on what you assume the person thinks of you.
4. Makes you look like a fool. For example, you thought all Asian girls are easy, you try your pathetic charm, you get slapped. In public. Or you thought locals are all stupid nerds, you make a really stupid remark, and you get slammed down with a one-liner. Or you thought all white people are arrogant and all black people can dance. Well, the latter could be an exception. 
5. Creates a whole lot of unnecessary trouble, for yourself and the people you interact with.
There are obviously generalisations which can be used as a starting point, BUT this doesn’t mean you cling on to these generalisations as if you were holding on to dear life. You can’t keep going back to them after meeting people who have already proven your initial stereotypes WRONG. Get it?!
Shitty as this song may be, it makes sense: Free your mind, and the rest will follow.
Have a nice day people!
duke Said:
on November 29, 2006 at 6:55 pm
Sad but true. There will always be generalizations when it comes to people. Someone always thinks they know it all!
kala Said:
on December 10, 2006 at 5:50 pm
here, here. I hate generalizations too. you should hear all my horror stories of being ‘categorized’ when i was living in manila with my french (then) boyfriend. it hurts a lot, and hurts even more when it’s your fellow countrymen who judge you.
pablo Said:
on December 20, 2006 at 1:33 am
just wanted to say that I love this post and have read it quite a few times.
point 2 really stuck with me as i am trying to reform my own knee-jerk attitudes. not just with ethnicities but everything…
thanks for the inspiring post.
khuram Said:
on December 29, 2006 at 11:04 pm
Well, your point of view is interesting. But I think generalization serves the purpose of first step towards getting proper explanation of any phenomenon. All our existing valid knowledge is actually just one or the other ‘explanation’ of the concerned phenomenon. And the first step towards getting that valid knowledge was one or the other generalization.
Yes it is true that valid knowledge would come only out of valid generalization. But we humans are not as much accurate as to be able to generate only valid generalizations. Obviously, humans shall come up with many inaccurate and some accurate generalizations. What I am saying is that in order to reach at one valid generalization, we shall generate many inaccurate generalizations also. Those invalid generalizations, thus, are like a necessary evil. First we do mistakes and then we take right actions. So invalid generalizations as well as any kind of mistakes can be viewd positively as well.
Anyways, thanks for your comments on my blog and Happy New Year to you too.
Regards!
asphaire Said:
on December 29, 2006 at 11:27 pm
Thanks Khuram!
Well you’re right and I did see it that way too, that’s why I wrote:
“There are obviously generalisations which can be used as a starting point, BUT this doesn’t mean you cling on to these generalisations as if you were holding on to dear life. You can’t keep going back to them after meeting people who have already proven your initial stereotypes WRONG.”
When a Westerner steps into Asia, he/she would have to call on those inaccurate stereotypes (i.e. Asians are generally non-confrontational; Asians are veeery family-orientated, etc) and use these as spring boards when starting conversations or making new friends. But generalisations are double-edged.
On one hand: “I have to say that there’s nothing wrong with knowing certain generalisations regarding a certain culture/society/group of people etc, because being conscious of certain so-called ‘cultural truths’ that generally apply to the majority can help you gauge and discern what are the best way of approaching people who may be ‘different’ from you to whatever extent.”
And on the other… the negative effects. You know what I mean. =D
Yup yup yup… 2007 is on its way! But according to a documentary I watched the other night, we’re five years off. The millenium should have been in 1995 and so 2007 is…? haha. Happy New Year again.
khuram Said:
on December 30, 2006 at 12:09 am
Thanks for explaining your point of view. And days to celebrate should come again and again. May we celebrate many milliniums in just one year…!!!!
Thanks again & Regards!
muhammad umer toor Said:
on April 19, 2008 at 1:06 am
I guess generalisations come to our mind instantly and can be near close to what we call intuition. If it has to do with intuition than we should regard it and what Mr. Khuram has stated as a precautionary measure is also true and I just add to it: acc to Edward de bono’s Textbook of wisdom, wisdom is all about knowning the possibilities, the more data you can percieve, more widen is your vision more wise you are and more resonableness achieved. So We should not evade perceptions and intuitions. But I am lay about intuition and many of us. There is a wide spectrum of intuition and mind you intuition is as valid a facuility of knowledge as that attained through sense-perceptions. Allam iqbal refered to intuition as the only means of reaching ultimate reality since vision of God is blocked to us and we can’t experience Him by mere sensory organs, despite all this yes mystic does experince Him (see metaphysics of Iqbal). I refer you people a site and you must contact them and they shall help you; http://www.artofintuition.co.uk. Thanks. Humble regards.