Why I Believe Stereotypes?

Novelist Chimamanda Adichie’s speech gave me a new view of stereotypes and how they affect everyone in some way or another. I was already aware of stereotypes negative effects on people but I never thought about it in depth from an international point of view. Having this brought to my attention I plan to think of people differently and remember that they have more than a single story in the future.
Before watching her speech I always figured the reason why people continue believing stereotypes because it is all they know and have not been exposed to anything to make them think that the stereotypes placed on certain groups of people do not apply to everyone. I became aware during the class discussion that stereotypes are reinforced because they give people power. People use stereotypes to put other people down in order to make themselves feel superior to someone without
Everything about who I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to look like to how I am supposed to look at everyone else in the world is all determined by stereotypes. I am growing up in a white Southern Baptist home and I can tell you that my family has put many untrue stereotypes in my head from the time I was a small child. Children who take what adults say as the law is honestly upsetting. Over winter break my family and I saw a man propose to another man and I am glad that I got to see this public display of their love. My little sister on the other hand who does not know any better said, “why does everyone think it is cute that’s just gross.” It made me realize although I know what I am told about queer people, people with different cultural backgrounds, and people of different religion are not true my sister believes they are. There are stereotypes placed on Baptist as well and I can confirm that some people do live up to them but not everyone does. Obviously, stereotypes would not have been created if not at least one person lived up to