Blog #24--Stereotypes Have Exceptions

Blog #24 --Stereotypes Have Exceptions, by Jack Tuttle http://dreamtime3.wix.com/jacktuttlebook

We love to classify, judge, label and otherwise separate one idea from another. Humans as a species tend to love stereotypes because they are simple descriptions of realities that are far more complex. But lumping a group of people into a simple classification goes against the Laws of Nature by failing to recognize exceptions.

I wrote about these things extensively in my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life,” but a documentary I heard recently brought it to my attention again. The people on the radio were talking about how stereotypes limit women’s potential. Back in the twentieth century, many men considered women incapable of doing “man’s work” and thus tried to keep their wives “barefoot and pregnant,” to quote a chauvinistic phrase used commonly then.

Women weren’t allowed to vote until the early 20th century, and their military jobs were limited to noncombat duty. Women were encouraged to prepare for a life as housewives and mothers and discouraged from taking science and math courses in school. Any woman who dared speak out and demand equal treatment was ridiculed by the male-dominated society. Even today, some women receive less pay than men for jobs of equal importance.

Some women liked this arrangement, even taking advantage of their status as the “weaker” sex to manipulate others into doing things for them. They would fight for their right not to be drafted into the military. And even before they had the vote, men’s votes on questions of importance were often influenced heavily by the preferences of their wives and mothers at home.

Others have fought valiantly for equal rights and equal treatment, and improvements have been made. But true equality won’t happen until everyone understands the workings of Nature, which guarantee that everything has an exception or opposite. Once we accept this reality, we can make allowances for those who don’t fit our convenient stereotypes. For example, women who are both motivated and qualified to do a man’s job should be able to compete fairly for it.

Dr. Stephen Jay Gould was a paleontologist who advanced our understanding of Nature with his research and resulting revelations. I read once where he was studying two species of snail in Chesapeake Bay. In the area between the two group’s territories, he found a few snails that appeared to be a mixture of the two species being studied.

Gould explained how many scientists, as well as many people in general, would throw out the ones that didn’t fit into the presumed snail stereotype. But anomalies are as valid as anything else. Only our judgment decides whether to embrace a new paradigm and arrive with a new hypothesis, or pretend the anomalies don’t really exist.

A number of people behave as if they live in a two-dimensional universe. Phrases like, “it’s us or them” and, “you’re either with us or against us” are typical of this thinking. Everything seems black or white to them, but in reality there are myriad shades of gray in between the extremes. If we wish to develop all our potential, learning to find and embrace the exceptions is a necessary step in the process. Spiritual growth is accomplished when we expand our love for everything in the Universe, and that includes the exceptions.

Stereotyping is a popular human endeavor, so the chances of eliminating it are slim. But those who see themselves as exceptions to those stereotypes may actually have a survival advantage, once they learn to love themselves and not let negative stereotypes harm their self-confidence.

Comments and questions can be directed to dreamtime@insight-books.com.