I believe that stereotypes are misleading. Our society takes individuals, male or female, and breaks their self-esteem down to a bare minimum. Everyone believes that if you don’t fit the cut of society, that you aren’t human. Our society believes that it is okay to exclude people because they are different. I believe that our society as a whole is overrun by stereotypes.
When I was in middle school, I was always bullied by the kids in my class, all because I was different and new. To them, I was an alien, like I had come from a different planet. Every day I would have to sit next to them as they gave me disgusted side looks and, to make matters worse, I would sit alone at the lunch table as they would constantly look at me, then laugh and whisper about me. To make matters even more worse, I only had about two friends in my class, the rest of my friends were either the grade above or below me.
I don’t fit into society’s mold of how a girl should look, even when I was in grade school. I was chubbier than most of the other girls in my class, I also had short hair, and when I say short, I mean like, boy short hair. I was ridiculed because, again, I didn’t look like my fellow peers at all. I only had about two good friends and I was tormented for being different and for being myself.
Stereotypes – They run our lives and they run our society. Stereotypes don’t just have to be about body type, they can be about relationships as well. I was flirting with this guy and we started to kiss, but then I had to leave. Afterward, I found out that he had a girlfriend. I confronted him and he replied with, “No, if it was cheating, I would’ve asked you out and started dating you, and forget her.” Most of our generation stereotypes cheating as dating two people at the same time. The literal definition of cheating, however, is being unloyal, whether by flirting or kissing, to the other party.
When it comes to society’s stereotypes, I believe that just because someone is different, it isn’t okay to shun them. In Africa, why is it that if you are heavier in weight, then you have a high status in society. In America on the other hand, if you are heavier in weight, then you are shunned for eating too much. If you have short hair, you are a lesbian. If you wear all black, you are gothic. Our society has a problem with judging people based on their looks.
Instead of judging people based on their looks, we should accept them for who they are. Judgment leads our society to stereotypes. I believe that stereotypes are misleading.