Most people put stereotypes on others. Many people consider all cats to be evil, all males to be strong, all Muslims to be terrorists, and all Africans to be poor and uncivilized. “Dumb blond” is also a commonly-used term to indicate a person with blond hair as unintelligent. When a person only hears one story about someone or something, they place a stereotype on that person or item; most of the time, these perceived images are deficient of all the information. This is frequently called a single story. In her speech “The Danger of a Single Story”, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says, “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story” (38.3-4). Single stories are very dangerous because they place stereotypes on a person, group, or thing; in my life, I have fallen for and heard many single stories but have eventually learned to overcome them.
A common stereotype that everyone falls for is that Africa is a benighted, …show more content…
Stories are meant to open new doors for people, yet single stories close doors off from them. When people find and become familiar with multiple stories, their perspectives of the world are changed. They no longer see all Muslims as terrorists, all cats as evil, all men as strong, and all Africans as poor and uncivilized. I used to believe in single stories and stereotypes. However, with new sources and experience, I do not believe in those stereotypes anymore. I understand that people and things are so much more than what we originally discern them to be. As Phaedrus, a Roman fabulist and Latin author once said, “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully
A common stereotype that everyone falls for is that Africa is a benighted, …show more content…
Stories are meant to open new doors for people, yet single stories close doors off from them. When people find and become familiar with multiple stories, their perspectives of the world are changed. They no longer see all Muslims as terrorists, all cats as evil, all men as strong, and all Africans as poor and uncivilized. I used to believe in single stories and stereotypes. However, with new sources and experience, I do not believe in those stereotypes anymore. I understand that people and things are so much more than what we originally discern them to be. As Phaedrus, a Roman fabulist and Latin author once said, “Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully