Self and Identity

Whenever we encounter someone, we notice similarities and differences. While both are important, it is often the differences that are highlighted and that contribute to communication troubles. We don't usually perceive similarities and differences on just an individual level though. In fact, we place people into in-groups and out-groups based on the similarities and differences we perceive.

Your culture and identity is a strong influence on your perception. Whenever you interact with others, you interpret their communication by drawing on information from your previous experiences. Those experiences constitute assumptions, attributions and generalizations based on our experiences. Stereotypes can aid us in predicting behavior and reduce our feelings of uncertainty, but when we stereotype others, we replace human complexities of personality with broad assumptions about character and worth based on group affiliation. We stereotype people because it streamlines the communication process. Once we've categorized a person as a member of a particular group, you can form a quick impression of them, which might be efficient for the communication process, but frequently leads us to form flawed impressions.

Although stereotyping is almost impossible to avoid, and most of us presume that our beliefs about other groups are valid, it's crucial to keep in mind that just because someone belongs to a certain group, it doesn't necessarily mean that all the defining characteristics of that group apply to that person. To assume you know something about a stranger, or even a friend, based on a stereotype will often make you look foolish, and likely hurt or offend the other person.

Prejudice involves a negative preconceived judgment or opinion that guides conduct or social behavior. Specific types of prejudice have their own labels that often end with -ism (e.g. racism, sexism, ableism, etc.) Treating people with prejudice is also about making assumptions or taking preconceived ideas for granted without question. Again, with potentially ignorant, and possibly even dangerous, consequences.

The flip side of emphasizing difference is to claim that no differences exist and that you see everyone as a human being. The trap of assumed similarity or thinking that all people are basically similar, denies cultural, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and many other valuable insightful differences that are important to the human experience.