Why is it ok to make "good" <span title="stereotypes/generalizations">stereotypes/generalizatio...</span> about a group but not "bad" ones?

Question

They are generalizations either way.

Answer 1

Maybe they think a good stereotype might flatter the person or give them something good to feel about?

Answer 2

Good stereotypes are not offensive.

Bad stereotypes ARE offensive.

That is the difference.

Answer 3

Well...&quot;bad&quot; generalizations are more harmful, generally.  &quot;Good&quot; generalizations CAN be harmful, but they aren&#039;t always, whereas &quot;bad&quot; generalizations are almost ALWAYS harmful.

Answer 4

Actually your question makes a good point except for ...

Why is it ok to make &quot;good&quot; stereotypes/generalizations about a group but not &quot;bad&quot; ones unless they are about white males?

Answer 5

yeah, but good things people always want to hear. like if you say all jews are smart. how could that offend them? ah, i dont know. or something like that.

Answer 6

Stereotypes wouldn&#039;t exist if there wasn&#039;t SOME truth in them.  

Is it more appropriate to walk up to a stranger and say &quot;I really like your hair,&quot; or to say, &quot;You have a big fat ugly nose!&quot;  

Stereotypes are shortcut perceptions about STRANGERS.  Do we stereotype our friends?  Isn&#039;t it nicer to think good things about someone before you know them?

Answer 7

Perhaps, people do that so they can come to terms with things.

Answer 8

I&#039;m not sure that&#039;s true.

Someone else mentioned the stereotype &#039;all Jews are smart.&#039;  Well, I&#039;ve seen Jewish people responding with a great deal of discomfort to that kind of stereotype.

I think that ultimately people don&#039;t like to be stereotyped, even if it&#039;s a good stereotype.

Answer 9

because PC thugs like yourself ask ignorant questions.

Answer 10

True enough, and those making them like to call the good ones &quot;qualities&quot; or &quot;attributes&quot;. It doesn&#039;t take away the fact that they are generally stereotypes.

I&#039;d go as far as to say that so called &quot;good&quot; stereotypes are not always good at all. Such stereotypes as &#039;highly educated people are often more open to ideas&#039; is a mistake at best.

Stereotyping women as always nuturing could be good or bad, depending on the situation, and it some relativistic minds changes accordingly.