Generally speaking.

It was recently commented to me that we shouldn't generalize. The comment was relating to my generalizing of a people group, and they though't they'd strike home by saying I shouldn't generalize that group any more than they should generalize a list of groups they believed I belonged to. The issue: I think they SHOULD generalize these groups, especially if I am a member, and furthermore it's of paramount interest to me to see what "groups" people think I am in.

For starters, when they do it, I get for free what many corporations in america pay MILLIONS for: gague of public perception. Do you know how much Wal-Mart, for example, spends just to find out what people generally think of them? Enough that if they just gave it to me, I could comfortably retire right now, and never worry about money again. Why do people get so uptight about generalizations? I'm guessing it's because they took those labels, applied them to themselves, and now they think that they are "black" or "white" or "Christian" or "Atheist" which is rediculous. You may sympathize with many in one or all of these groups, but unless you're dense you know that everyone who shows up with these groups aren't actually a part of these groups. Case in point: our lovely president who seems to ignore his white side alltogether when more than a small amount of white stereotypes fit him very well!

"But they're offensive...." Yah, sure, they're offensive, and dog poop smells, get used to it! If they are offensive, you have yourself and everyone you know in your group to blame for it and no one else. What I've found generally is that generalizations are the unabashedly honest assessment of the majority in your group that appear to the public eye. Hence the statement of "Christians are Hypocrites" for starters, we haven't done a good job of correcting their definition, what they actually mean half the time is "Christians are sinners!" and if you disagree with that statement, you might want to recheck your theology to see if you really belong to Christianity, because you sound more like a product of modern psychology. The other half where they are correct, let's face it, we haven't done a good enough job of loudly decrying the teleevangelists who took the money and ran. We think that complaining about it in our christian books is enough, as if the rest of the world is reading those. (the rest of the world either can't read or chooses to watch the movie instead, or would rather read about making money, or flattening their abs) We really ought to loudly and publically decry those who profess one thing and live another. Not just in front of the church, but before the community as well.

Will this mean those church members cheating on their wives and abusing their children will get pushed away from the church? Probably. It also means that people look at the church and say "They mean what they preach, and they kick out the person who doesn't live it" Sure there's a place for outreach, like sunday morning, the superbowl party, wednesday nights... But there also needs to be an inner sanctum of members who define generally who we are as Christians. The people who are referenced in the generalization. And sad to say, generalizations as unflattering as they are... are usually right!

Where we run into trouble with generalizations is when we apply the entire group's generalizations to that guy. Sure white people are arrogant, ignorant, intolerant, and lacking in attention span... but when you go and point to mother theresa and say she's arrogant, ignorant, intolerant and lacking attention span, merely because she happens to be white... well there we begin to have a bit of friction.

The solution, if you dislike your stereotype, is simple: Disassociate from the group with the stereotype, or expell those who build the stereotype while living in such a way that anyone who meets you has to check their perception. All the while taking offense is an utter waste of time.

Trying to reason with the world using their rules will get your butt kicked every time. They don't only control the rules, they control the definitions and the labels. They will justify everything they do, and find someone to say what it is they want to hear, then they will lift them up as an authority, bestow an honorary PHD (or Nobel peace prize) for their hard work and point out that you don't have either of those things so clearly your opinion doesn't matter. Thus is the result of trying to shame the world into being accepting of you, just as they do to everyone else.

Generally: Generalizations are necessary to cope with people you've never met, and valuable to find out how each of us as groups are doing. Some groups that have used the generalization to their advantage (to perform Public Relations work to change the perception) Homosexuals, Blacks, Agnostics, and recently Atheists. Some groups that will just sit back and bitch at others who can see the generalizations (they didn't make them up themselves you know, they are hardly that clever) Whites, Christians, The French.