A rant on gender stereotypes

[Dystopia]

I think you and I have different ideas of what makes a stereotype. I don't think people necessarily think that a stereotype applies to every single person of so and so group. If I say that men and stronger then women (duh) I would think it's implied that I don't believe every single man is stronger than every single woman. Again, Duh.

Stereotypes are when you apply the same principle or assumption to the whole group, otherwise it's not really a stereotype, it's just a more likely to be true characteristics - There's no consensus to the definition of stereotype, but most agree that it's when we assume previously that people in that group have that trait.

Well I'm going to use one brought up in the opening post, which is that women aren't good at working on cars or mechanics. I also am not good at working on cars. In high school even less. On a test called the ASVAB I scored in the bottom 30% when compared to other men in Automotive knowledge. However it's was in something like the top 20% if I was compared to women. So if someone says women don't know anything about cars, obviously they don't mean all of them and equally obviously it is a true statement.

Actually they probably mean all of them - You may think people joke, but many people take their jokes seriously and when they throw out a stereotype they subconsciously believe it's true. And in what way does your little experience prove that women know nothing about mechanics?

Even if they don't, you said a significant part of stereotypes are true and a single example doesn't prove your point. Do you have any actual evidence that women aren't good with cars? And even if they aren't, do you ever wonder if that's because they lack skills or because society tells them that it's a man's stuff?- Meaning that if it didn't happen they could be better mechanics.

I wish you a great 2015, and take into account that the reason I'm debating this with you is not because I'm mad, but rather because I disagree with some of your claims (like the one saying that most stereotypes are true).

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I disagree that stereotyping is what you say it is.

Really? Then go check out what psychologists and sociologists have to say. I only had highschool psychology I'll admit, but most authors I studied said that generally stereotyping means we automatically assume something about the whole group unless proven false by a specific member of that group - Until then, we just assume.