Stereotypical thinking and its impact on human life. All about stereotypical thinking

What stereotypes do you know? Most likely, these are stereotypes based on the behavior of representatives of different genders, nationalities, and family members. For example, ideas according to which blondes do not shine with intelligence, blacks play basketball (and bass guitar) well, and confrontation inevitably arises between mother-in-law and son-in-law are examples of such well-known stereotypes.

But there are much deeper stereotypes which many of us do not notice in ourselves.

And such established habits of thinking can have an unfavorable effect on our personality, even destructive. They can make us feel sad, dissatisfied, prevent us from enjoying the beautiful scenery, ruin our vacation, and even cause fatigue and stress!

I am sure that everyone has a bunch of such stereotypes in their heads and you yourself don’t realize it.

Such stereotypes do not necessarily apply to the behavior of certain social groups. They may concern the perception of certain events in your life, the emotions that are born in you.

And in this article I will analyze such stereotypes and tell you how they affect our lives and how we can get rid of them.

I will write about stories from my life. But as you read about them, you will have to look within yourself to discover the patterns within that are creating hindrances in your life. Let this text bring to the surface what is buried deep inside you and that you do not even notice.

Story 1 – Why don’t you go for a walk?

Once upon a time, after another week of work, a day off came. Sometimes on days like these you have to plan something, but I try not to focus too much on it. Because planning is the prerogative of everyday life. And in order to give my mind a rest, I prefer to just “get into the flow”, not think about anything and do what I want at the moment. Or do nothing, which I also really like.

And on one of these days, I just sat at home and indulged in such a relaxed pastime, shuttling from room to room. I would make some tea, open my browser, take out a book, or just lie back and relax.

Despite the fact that the weather outside was sunny and warm, I didn’t want to go anywhere that day. Why, because I felt good at home!
But then they told me: “The weather is so good, and you’re sitting at home! Why don't you go for a walk?

And I thought: “Really, why am I sitting at home?”

And I began to think about where I should go. Nothing came to mind, the friends left. I felt somehow abandoned. While everyone is swimming and spending time outdoors in this wonderful weather, I’m sitting and collecting dust in my apartment!

And only after I spent some time in this mood, unable to figure out what to do on the street, only then did I understand WHAT had happened to me, and what a trap my own mind has led me into.

After all, before they asked me “why don’t you go for a walk?”, I enjoyed spending time at home. But then this question revived in me the stereotype that in good weather you should definitely go for a walk. This stereotype cannot be called stupid and baseless. Indeed, in our latitudes the weather is good and the sun is something that does not happen so often. I especially understood this after I spent a year in India, returning from which I began to enjoy Moscow’s cloudy weather and slushy twilight, because the sun can also get boring.

In addition, this good weather also needs to coincide with a weekend, which happens even less often. Therefore, for many people, the chances to enjoy the warmth and sun do not come so often.

The stereotype that resonated with me made me feel dissatisfied with what I have here and now.

This eloquently demonstrates the notorious ability of our mind to create problems for itself. It is clear that the pleasure of any activity or event depends not only on these things as such, but also on our perception.

My mind at that moment considered that what I was doing at home was not what I “should” be doing on such a nice day. As a result, the activity that gave me pleasure turned into something gray and ordinary with just one phrase!

Have similar stories happened to you, not necessarily related to the weather and walks? For example, you did something with dedication and pleasure, and then decided (either on your own or because of someone else's influence) that it was not right just because a person at your age/position/personality did not “should” do this? This stereotype could be related to your job, hobbies, relationships, listening to music, anything! Stretch your memory and remember the times when you fell into traps similar to mine. It would be great if you share them in the comments.

Or maybe you are falling into them now without realizing it? Then here's some advice for you. Do what you enjoy doing that doesn't harm you or others. Don't fall victim to stereotypes that prevent you from enjoying what you have here and now.

How do you know if you are under the influence of such a stereotype? The key word is "should". When it flashes in your thinking, it will be better if the alarm light comes on in you. And then ask yourself, what and to whom do you owe? Focus on what you like to do, not what most people like to do, and draw appropriate conclusions. For example, “even if everyone likes to go to clubs on Fridays, I would prefer to spend time at home without being upset about the fact that I’m losing something.”

These are the questions I began to ask myself on that fine day and came to the conclusion that on my day off I would do what I liked at the moment, and not what I “should” do according to some established ideas. If I want to take a walk, I’ll take a walk. And if it’s more interesting for me to watch a movie at home, I’ll do it.

Story 2 – On the Road

When I lived in India, our friend, an astrologer and a Brahmin, asked me and my wife to appear in a video about him, to talk about his work from the point of view of foreigners. We, of course, agreed, but not with great desire. The journey from us to his village was more than two hours by train just one way, not to mention the journey to his house from the station. By that time, I was already fed up with all this traveling around India and I looked at the upcoming trip without much enthusiasm. “I would rather stay home and work”, I thought with annoyance. But suddenly, as in the previous story, I managed to grasp here a certain pattern of thinking, a stereotype of perception. I saw that, only out of habit, the road for me was associated exclusively with hassle and fatigue. “But why should I perceive it this way?”- I asked myself.

“If you think that the road is necessarily a tiring task and prepare yourself for it in advance, then you will definitely get tired. But if you treat it as an exciting journey and a place to relax, then you will relax and enjoy it.”

As a child, I perceived any trip as some kind of adventure and looked forward to it. Why can't I do this now? After all, everything depends on my perception!

Instead of perceiving it as a tedious task, I can view the road as an interesting journey, an opportunity to take a break from work, and a change of scenery. On the train I will read, listen to music, that is, do those things that I love, but do not do as often as I would like because there is always something more important. And the road is a great opportunity! This thought cheered me up. I armed myself with a player, a book and hit the road in a good mood.

On the train, I relaxed, listened to music and looked out the window at the lush vegetation passing by, the backwaters stretched along the railway tracks, Hindu temples and squat houses. I had already gotten used to the heat, and it did not cause me any discomfort. I rode in a cheerful mood, trying in every possible way to use the travel time to relax and have fun.

As a result, in one day we spent more than 6 hours on the road and managed to record a video for our friend. And when we returned home, I was still in a good mood. And, the most interesting thing is that I was not tired at all! It was an amazing discovery. I realized that Not only our mood, but also physical fatigue depends on our attitudes!

If you think that the road is necessarily a tiring task and prepare yourself for it in advance, then you will definitely get tired. But if you treat it as an exciting journey and a place to relax, then you will relax and enjoy it.

Story 3 – Muscovites don’t know how to wait

Returning from India to Moscow, I perceived my hometown and its inhabitants in a completely new way. What I previously took for granted has now become for me an absolute plus of my city. For example, this is impeccable cleanliness on the streets, the absence of crowds of people (if you do not agree with this, then you have not seen crowds), good organization of transport and roads, the availability of quality entertainment, good service and fast, cheap Internet. But I also saw the downsides. And they were in Muscovites. I noticed that Muscovites do not know how to endure and wait at all.

Recently I went to a government hospital where I had to wait in line. The people around me had patience for no more than 10-15 minutes. And after this time they began to lament: "Why so long? Where is this doctor? What country is it?"

In our hospitals, I’ll tell you, they work quickly. In India (where terrible bureaucracy reigns), even in paid hospitals, visitors sit in line for 2–3 hours. Moreover, they sit completely calm. They don’t even read books, they just stare patiently at the wall. Of course, Indians will always take the chance to jump the queue. But if such a chance does not arise, they behave completely patiently and look with great surprise at the Europeans, who are always nervous, in a hurry and eager to download their rights. What's the hurry? And most importantly, why? Nervous swarming will not make the line go by any faster. Every Indian knows this. But not for a Muscovite.

We are accustomed to the fact that a queue is a time of languid, nervous waiting. (This stereotype is similar to the attitude towards the road.)

But if you look from the other side, the queue is a great opportunity to take a forced rest. Why forced? Because busy, business people don’t allow themselves much rest. Even in their free time they solve some business. And in line there is a chance to be a little alone with yourself. Think about your life, make an important decision.

Learn to look at life situations in a new way, in relation to which you have already developed persistent patterns of perception. You will look differently at the time when you need to wait, get bored and do something monotonous. Don’t rush to “kill” this time so that it passes as quickly as possible. After all, these minutes or hours represent priceless moments of your life that you can’t get back later!

Stop nervously turning in circles, fidgeting in your chair, running out to smoke while you are waiting for something.

Use this chance to reflect, dream, solve some internal problem...

If you learn this, then perhaps the next time you are waiting for your order at a restaurant, you will come across a decision that will change your life forever!

Story 4 - an incident in the Himalayas

What to do to get rid of stereotypes?

In this article I have given some recommendations for overcoming stereotypes. But again, you won't be able to track them until you train your mind to do so. A person can spend his whole life following some kind of stereotype, for example, that girls don’t like him, and never understand that this belief is just a mental construct and has no relation to reality. While we are inside the usual thinking pattern, we do not notice that such a thinking pattern exists at all. (Good examples of this are in an article I read recently and highly recommend you read).

We are under the influence of this scheme, living it as if automatically, completely involved in it, without even thinking about why we act this way. I have long ceased to be afraid of being a bore, since someone still has to be one. Therefore, let me remind you once again that various practices for developing awareness will help you destroy stereotypes, for example. Firstly, it will teach you to observe established patterns of thinking from the outside, without being involved in them. And, secondly, it will teach your consciousness to constantly check itself for emerging patterns and correct them in time. And thirdly, meditation is precisely that way of contemplating reality, which is freed from any mental constructs, habitual patterns of thinking, because it is bare observation without involvement in the processes of the mind.

It will also help you a lot if you think more often about the actions that you do automatically. Take a short break and ask yourself.

“Why do I act this way and not otherwise? Are there any other ways to change the standard actions?
“Why, having forgotten the keys at home, I return there in excitement and nervousness. What will change if I worry?”
“Why, when I'm sad or scared, do I try to run away from these emotions? What happens if you try the other way around, accept them, soak in them?”
“Why, when someone judges me or accuses me, do I engage in counter-criticism? Is it possible to act differently?
“Why am I constantly offended? Is offense the most effective way to resolve conflict or internal contradictions?”
“Why do I think that I should lead a certain way of life, should have some specific tastes. Who do I owe this to and why?

It was with the goal of destroying habitual thinking patterns that I formulated 100 questions in my article a long time ago

A person is given a lot; he is surrounded by opportunities to improve his personal life, get a job, and improve his standard of living. However, not everyone is able to accept the gifts of fate. The reason for this is fears and self-doubt. To enjoy life, this negativity must be overcome.

Instructions

The fight against fears must begin with their awareness. To do this, choose a convenient time when no one will disturb you. Be alone with yourself, dim the lights. Create a relaxing atmosphere. Close your eyes and think about what worries you most, what prevents you from living in peace.

Apply an effective psychological technique. Imagine that what you fear has already happened. Experience it, think through in great detail how it can happen, and what will happen next. The most important thing is to determine what you can do in response to the development of events that frightens you. For example, you are afraid of losing your job. Imagine that this has already happened. What will you do next? Focus on this stage of reflection, and in the future, when fear appears, mentally return to it.

In order to get rid of uncertainty, psychological exercises are not enough. Insecurity is based on the fact that a person subconsciously believes that he is not good enough. This may apply to relationships with the opposite sex, to holding a position, achieving a certain status, etc. Therefore, constantly train in the area in which you want to feel confident in your abilities: meet people on the street more often, deepen your professional skills, etc.

Find an opportunity to assert yourself. For example, if you are an artist, but self-doubt prevents you from taking on serious commissions, start by doing small works. An important nuance is that you should do these small works not for yourself, but for the customer. By doing this, you will train your mind for larger tasks.

note

The famous psychologist Carl Jung argued that it is impossible to overcome fears without faith in God.

"Cockroaches in head“- these are negative thoughts that habitually spin in your brain, your internal monologue. Chewing the cud of words day after day can lead to stress. There are tricks to help get rid of these annoying “insects”.

You will need

- restructuring your thinking;
- general notebook;
- pen;
- meditation;
- speaking affirmations out loud;
- working out emotions/

Instructions

Engage in deprogramming - “rebuild” your brain, clear it of unnecessary garbage. Get rid of your beliefs - the programs spinning in your head that spoil your mood and interfere with your life. Destroy subconscious commands, like: “Everyone is a freak”, “I’m afraid of beautiful people”, “I’m to blame”, “Laziness was born before me”, “I have to work hard”, “Soon I’ll walk around the world with a bag” and many others, often unconscious and ridiculous.

Keep in mind that "cockroaches" are powerful as long as they are associated with any unconscious emotions. In order for the subconscious program to stop operating, the emotional charge must be removed from it. To do this, you need to become aware of the emotion, transfer it from the subconscious to consciousness, fully experiencing it.

In order to “pull” your unpleasant emotions out, use the technique of “intuitive writing.” It consists of keeping a record in which every day you must record the manifestation of the next “cockroach” and look for the reason for its appearance. For example, an entry may appear in your diary: “Today I was rude, saying that her son is a rag. My cockroach: all men earn a lot, but my husband earns the least.” “The emotion that feeds my cockroach: envy. I feel terrible for my neighbor, whose husband gave her an expensive car for her birthday.” Next, you must realize that envy is a destructive feeling? and “crush” this “cockroach”.

Meditate if you can't get rid of " cockroaches in your head” using the intuitive writing method. Sit back, relax, turn off your phones, turn on relaxation music and passively observe your own thoughts. Catch the “cockroaches” and don’t let them spin a ball of endless monologue. Ask them to be quiet. Imagine yourself crushing them. The following affirmations can help here: “I am absolutely calm and free from any dogmas”, “My brain works for my benefit”, “My thinking is clear and transparent, like a baby’s”, “Now I don’t think about anything “,” “I will never again experience anger, envy, greed and fear,” etc.

Let go of your emotions. Try to feel as much as possible what worries you. Imagine what could happen in the worst case scenario. Get over it, you can even cry if you want. Free yourself from these emotions, you have already experienced and “worked through” everything.

Try to listen to people less. That is, listen to them? of course? necessary, but you shouldn’t take everything too seriously. And if they try to convince you of “another cockroach”, do not give in, have your own point of view.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

Seek help from an experienced psychologist if you yourself cannot get rid of the “cockroaches” in your head.

The fashion for psychics and fortune tellers has acquired such proportions that even the most sober-minded people rushed to cast and remove damage. In fact, a conspiracy is an ordinary self-hypnosis, which is a greater problem for the one who orders and induces it than for the one to whom it is incited.

Instructions

Read about primitive societies, about primitive forms of thinking. Previously, shamans pretended that with the help conspiracy cause fire. In fact, there was a smoldering firebrand hidden in the right place. Now no one will believe that by reading some texts or muttering phrases you can change material things. This is easy to check. But in the area of relationships, belief in takes on frightening proportions. Having understood the principles of receiving fire, people stopped being afraid of the shamans who call them. If you understand how conspiracies work, why these rites of self-hypnosis are successful mainly among narrow-minded ladies, you, too, can avoid their impact on yourself.

Understand that a conspiracy is the self-hypnosis of the weak. TO conspiracy m are resorted to (less often by men) who have exhausted all ways to influence the situation in personal communication. The basis of conspiracies is usually, which is considered a sin in most religions. In secularism, envy is called a vice. With help conspiracy losers try to deprive more successful people of what they have achieved - money, love, lover, etc.

Study the principle of operation of protective mental mechanisms. Consultations or good literature on will help you with this. Our psyche has a system of protecting its integrity from injury and damage. These defenses are, to put it roughly, “useful” and “useless.” Useful or adequate protections take us to a new level of relationships, helping us overcome problems and resolve conflicts. Useless defenses are often inadequate and unconstructive. Their goal is to temporarily reduce fear or other negative emotions. But they do not lead to a solution to the problem. A conspiracy is a self-hypnosis that is done by reading texts and some ritual actions. Either this is a suggestion from a certain grandmother or a psychic. It temporarily helps the victim feel calmer, stronger, and more important. But time passes, the person targeted is alive and well, his life circumstances are only improving, and the victim continues to believe in otherworldly forces. In most cases, conspiracies are just income for charlatans, which does not solve the problems of the one who orders it.

Show courage, believe that protection from conspiracies is within you. If you are a believer, look for prayers against the evil eye, they are in every religion. If you are an atheist, you can write yourself a short affirmation or text that will encourage you when you meet someone who is supposedly damaging you. Look this person boldly in the eyes, speak to him in a calm and confident voice. He must see that he has not brought emotional imbalance into your life. When you prove to the offender that you are not afraid of him, he himself will understand that reading conspiracies against you is empty and hopeless.

Complexes are what poison the lives of many people. Even the most outwardly confident people often have some hidden dissatisfaction with themselves. It can be difficult for a person to get rid of destructive psychological programs; he may not even be aware of them. Close people, if they wish, can help him free himself internally and begin to live more effectively.

There are a lot of stereotypes out there about what life should be like. There are a huge number of trainings where they say that you need to become a millionaire or get married successfully. There is a certain pattern: it is cultivated in society, making it popular and, at first glance, impeccable. But each person has his own taste of happiness: for one, family and fulfillment in children are enough, while for another, career achievements are needed. How to abstract yourself and understand what you want?

Your environment helps: look for like-minded people and examples of people who live the way you like. If it responds inside, then this is it. You can find inspiration on the Internet: there are many bloggers of different ages around the world. Note to yourself: others have done it, and I will get there.

It turns out that we don’t really know ourselves

I recommend starting with small things. Only in this way will it be possible to come to an understanding of more global goals in life. During the day, start listening to yourself: do I want to date this person? What would I eat now? We don't pay enough attention to these things and live out of habit. It turns out that we don’t really know ourselves: the body’s needs, preferences and desires in this or that matter. How then to talk about big plans? Gradually, by recognizing and understanding yourself, you can define global dreams and goals. Constantly try something new and draw conclusions.

People are afraid of missing out on something important, and when people keep telling you and advising you from all sides, it causes stress and depression. Self-love and self-esteem play an important role, but you must not forget to dream. Often we want something, not based on what we really want, but based on a feeling of fear. How to determine this?

For example, if we think about marriage and feel pain inside, then it is not our real choice. Just at this moment we are running away from some kind of fear. We may have a need not for family as such, but for love.

Subject to influence

Often those who did not have enough attention in childhood face the problem of stereotypes. Perhaps the parents divorced or were only engaged in work.

We are all unloved to some extent. The consequences of the war left a certain imprint on the course of history and on people, in particular on women. They had to survive. Many aspects influenced it, one of them was that there was no sex in the Soviet Union. A person has ceased to feel his body, and today we see a problem with pleasure, receiving pleasure. More often, on the contrary, we try to scold ourselves. In this regard, it is very difficult to give love to a child when you yourself are tense and afraid to make an extra movement.

Those who live with their parents until the age of thirty are more susceptible to stereotypical thinking

But how can you live the way you want, if even close relatives are full of prejudices? If we talk about teenagers, then, for example, they are in a dependent position on their parents in any case; they do not have that much personal experience. They need to find support. Some teachers at school can provide it, show understanding rather than judgment.

If we talk about adults, then everything depends on how independently they make decisions. Those who live with their parents until the age of thirty are more susceptible to stereotypical thinking and influence. There is a certain question: how harmoniously does a person develop? There are very good family relationships where people do not put pressure on each other, accept and love. And they can live under the same roof. But this case is one in a million.

Free from prejudice

Now society is developing so quickly that a person can live several lives: change professions, constantly learn something, travel.

It is easier for a person who is light-hearted and positive to build a life

I see examples of happy people who remain open to this world and allow themselves to do whatever they want. - If they have love for a person, then they are not afraid to declare it. Of course, everyone experiences fear when stepping into the unknown. But the one who overcomes it really becomes happy. I was inspired by one story many years ago: a woman was an accountant all her life, and after 50 she studied to be an architect.

It is much easier for an easy-going and positive person to build a life based only on their preferences. If you do not have such qualities, then this can be fixed. The most important thing in any matter is to sincerely want to change the situation. The power of desire will certainly work. Our psyche will make sure that we strive for this. It is enough to clearly express your intention.

Consequences of stereotypes

Many people drive themselves into depression because they are afraid of going down an undesirable path. Sometimes there is such a period, and you just need to survive it, hide and be alone. Another conversation when it dragged on. In this case, it is easier to ask for help. If a state of malaise begins, there is not enough energy - this is already psychosomatics. Unlived states that hold you back and do not allow you to move forward, pin you down and become a significant reason to pull yourself together and try to change something.

Post-release trap

We all know people who, having returned from a vacation from another country, say with sparkling eyes: “It’s so cool there, I want to move, this is what I need.” For some it is an important resource, but for others it is a trap. When a person experiences a joyful moment in life, he falls into the illusion that he can handle everything. And then he gets disappointed and wonders: what’s wrong with me? Here you need to listen to yourself and distinguish momentary delight from true desire.

Relationships with loved ones or the real definition of selfishness

If you love yourself, then you know how to build personal boundaries. Relatives, roughly speaking, are getting used to it: you can’t interfere here, we are also silent about this. We cannot change other people, but we can change our attitude towards their prejudices and moral teachings.

In such a twisted way, he just wants to get love.

Building boundaries, in my opinion, is also not entirely harmonious. If a person has some aspect that he does not internally accept, he constantly has to defend himself. For example, I learned to do this through aggression. This is not bad, but you need to ask yourself: is it comfortable to live like this? Understand what specifically catches you, why other people can potentially have an influence.

By the way, remember how we were taught in childhood that being selfish is bad? If now one of your relatives is trying to influence you: they don’t accept you, they condemn you, then in fact, in such a distorted way, they just want to receive love.

About the expert

Evgenia Borisenko- coach, trained in theta-healing technique.

Stereotypes are the scourge of modern society. Clichés, templates, standards are found at every step. “All the rich steal”, “a child must strictly obey his parents”, “every woman must give birth”, “men don’t cry”... The list of such expressions can be continued indefinitely. Stereotypes are terrible because they mercilessly generalize and put everyone under the same brush, without taking into account the individuality of each person. And thinking by standards is even worse. However, first things first.

Formation of templates

Before moving on to considering stereotypical thinking, it is necessary to talk about where the notorious standards come from.

It is believed that they are based on the past experienced. The experience gained by our ancestors is the reason for the origin of patterns. Over time, they took hold and began to be passed on from one generation to another, taking root in society and settling in the minds of people.

Why are norms convenient?

The standard line of thinking is really convenient. After all, it gives rise to the same behavior patterns in different people. In addition, the stereotyped thinking of society is very beneficial. Because people with standards ingrained in their minds, as a rule, do not have individuality and uniqueness. They are driven into boundaries and live by far-fetched norms. It’s easy to instill in them something additional, to control them, manipulate them, zombie them.

Some stereotypes, of course, have a rational grain. But in our time, even these templates have been altered, distorted and taken to extremes.

About individuality

In modern society it is very important not to lose yourself. Especially when the people around you tend to think stereotypically. Sooner or later, a person with a developed and unlost individuality begins to notice that he does not seem to fit the image of the “ideal” person that has developed in society. Those around him do not agree with his views, convince him that he is wrong, one might even say that they are dissatisfied with him.

A vulnerable and sensitive person who really wants to be liked by everyone, as a result of this, begins to lose confidence in himself and his abilities. Complexes may develop, self-dislike, and self-esteem may fall. Many people stop accepting themselves for who they are.

More persistent individuals do not pay attention to the opinions of others. And some even have inflated self-esteem, because they are able to think broadly, while others are limited. Thus, he himself encourages his individuality. People who are unable to do this begin to live as others expect of them, receiving approval in return, but losing their uniqueness.

Gender stereotypes

These are the most common patterns in society that demonstrate ideas about the behavior and characteristics of men and women. They are directly related to gender roles - social attitudes that define appropriate and desirable models for both sexes. Stereotypes support them and reproduce them. Here are the most common:

A man should not cry, talk about his feelings, or do homework.
A woman must be a homemaker, and not a careerist, a free person, or anyone else. Her tasks are cooking, washing, cleaning, reproducing offspring and caring for the head of the family.
If a woman does not have a family, she is sure to be unhappy.
A man is obliged to engage in a solid or brutal business. Professions such as designer, stylist, artist and many others are too “unmasculine”.

It is worth noting that stereotypical thinking in terms of gender is embedded in people’s minds from childhood. Girls are bought dolls and toy kitchen sets. For boys - cars and robots. And even in kindergarten it may happen that the teacher, noticing how a girl is playing with interest with some kind of transformer, sends her to put the baby dolls to bed.

What is right?

The first sign of stereotypical thinking is the habit of dividing everything into right and wrong. No, of course, each of us has our own preferences, views, values, priorities. But only people with a stereotyped perception of the world can react aggressively to other opinions.

They are convinced that the right thing is when a person has received a “nursing” specialty. Then he got a stable job, in his homeland, to serve the state, and not to look for a better life abroad. I had a wedding, “like everyone else,” and started a family, always with children. That's right - this is when a person does not stand out from society and lives like everyone else.

But the point is that everything is relative. All people are different and consider correct only those attitudes in which they personally see a certain value and meaning, and not someone else.

Sphere of professions

There are also quite a few templates in it. A professional stereotype is a personified image of a specialty. The concept of image also comes into play here. This is an image that gives a social phenomenon certain characteristics. A kind of “semi-finished product”, designed for speculation by society. The image has a suggestive function, so it often turns into a stereotype. Here are some examples:

Psychologists know everything about us. Just by one glance they are able to determine what a person is like.
Teacher. A person who knows everything and can answer almost any question.
Artist. A person with an interesting, fun and carefree life, with a lot of opportunities, success and prospects.
Salesman. Definitely a liar. Because he needs to sell the product, which means that even if it is not very good, he will describe it as perfection.
Journalist. Borzopist. Someone who is ready to publish any misinformation for money.

By the way, often young people, inspired by images and stereotypes about professions, go to get a particular specialty, and then are severely disappointed in reality.

In children

Stereotypical thinking also manifests itself to one degree or another in the youngest children. On a different level, of course.

For example, a child is told that the Earth is round. He may start asking questions, trying to find evidence of what was said in books or on the Internet. But not necessarily. He can also accept what is said on faith, without even a second of doubt. And it is precisely this reaction that will indicate that he has stereotypical thinking.

But why doesn't he ask questions? It is believed that the reason lies in certain qualities of consciousness, called stereotypical personal markers. These include authority, sub-influence, and emotionality. Take, for example, the first marker listed. It involves believing information only because its source is an authority figure. Can a child doubt what his parents, elders or teachers told him?

By the way, there is another interesting point here - examples of stereotypical thinking in relation to children. What should they do, if you believe the templates? Always obey your parents, make their unfulfilled dreams and desires come true in your life, get only "A's" and provide a glass of water in old age. And many mothers and fathers do not hesitate to put all of the above pressure on their children.

How to stop thinking in patterns?

People rarely think about this. As a rule, due to the fact that they do not even consider their thinking to be stereotypical. Simply correct, generally accepted. But some are concerned about this question, they even take a test called “Do you have stereotypical thinking?” (version 1.0). Well, if you really want to fix the situation, you can listen to the following advice:

You need to learn not to make judgments. For they are labels that limit freedom of perception. How to do it? Just look at the world without judging it. Don't comment - just observe.
You need to track your movements. This way you will be able to understand which of them are stereotypical and which are not. Every action must be brought into the sphere of awareness. This will help in destroying personal stereotypes, and will also teach you to live in the current moment. What about examples? Here's the simplest one: people are standing near the elevator. They are waiting for him. But the majority will still press the button, knowing that the elevator is already on its way.
Understand that all people are different. To do this, it is enough to put yourself in their place. You don’t like snakes - imagine that someone just doesn’t like what you have the most sympathy for. There is no need to approve - just accept this fact, understand and not judge.
Develop your horizons. This is important for anyone who is concerned about how to get rid of stereotypical thinking. The horizons expand, and with it the framework. New knowledge appears, fresh thoughts, food for discussion, and views often change. If this doesn’t get rid of templates, it will definitely expand the boundaries.

There are books that completely break stereotypical thinking. Again, everyone’s tastes are different, but most recommend reading literature from the postmodern era. Authors such as Patrick Suskind, Chuck Palahniuk, John Fowles, for example. Or DC Pierre, Julian Barnes, Toole, Jennifer Egan. It’s better to start by studying books about stereotypical thinking directly in order to understand the essence from the inside. Fortunately, there are enough of these in psychology.

The topic of stereotypes (templates, patterns) of perception, thinking and behavior is so vast that it can be studied throughout a lifetime. But what if stereotypes are preventing you from living the life you want right now? Having studied a lot of materials, I came to the conclusion that thinking stereotypes have the greatest deterrent and harmful power, since perception and behavior arise from thought processes. What is a stereotype? This is a habitual, established pattern of behavior or thinking in any situation. A person takes this model from past experience of similar situations and applies it unconsciously, mechanically. From this definition it is clear to the naked eye that stereotypical thinking deprives a person not only of new sensations and opportunities, but also of development prospects. Who wants to get stuck in a repetitive cycle of reactions and thought patterns? I think not to the one who strives for! Therefore, let's figure out how to destroy thinking stereotypes.

Classification of thinking stereotypes

In order to defeat the enemy, you need to know him by sight. You can destroy a stereotype when you have precisely defined it. I offer a brief description of the five most common thinking patterns.

Polar thinking makes a person see life in black and white, labeling each incident as either “good” or “bad.” While we live in a world where there are hundreds of thousands of half-tone events, people with polar thinking are forced to choose from an extremely limited set of assessments. As you know, nothing good or bad happens in the world at all; everything becomes so only because of our assessments.

Pessimism and maximalism stem from polar thinking. This stereotype is extremely harmful, as it leads to biased perception, inadequate reactions to what is happening, erroneous decisions and underestimated performance.

Overgeneralization destructive for humans. This stereotype of thinking manifests itself in labeling oneself, others and situations, and labels are chosen based on a single situation (for example, an unsuccessful acquaintance with a girl) and become part of the person’s worldview (“I don’t know how to meet girls”). With this kind of thinking, a person closes most doors for himself, i.e. opportunities, loses, falls into. A person suffering from this stereotype creates an unchangeable image of himself and can live with it all his life - this is called inflexible thinking. While in a healthy situation a person is a process, constantly changing and renewing.

At selective perception a person concentrates only on certain aspects of a situation, considering them significant, and discards all others as unimportant. Such one-sided perception leads to the formation of rigid stereotypes and the inability to perceive any opinions different from one’s own. As a result, a person develops dogmatic thinking, when his own views and beliefs are elevated to absolutes and are not subject to criticism and transformation. The extreme degree of dogmatism is fanaticism, which represents unwavering devotion to an idea or activity, complete concentration on it and the absence of any others.

Signs of selective thinking are: a conviction bordering on fanaticism that only one’s own views are correct, the inability to critically analyze them, the immutability of these views, lack of interest in everything that does not correspond to them, evaluating information based only on the authority of the source, stubbornness and stubbornness in defending one’s beliefs .

Categorization- the scourge of so many people, a stereotype that must be destroyed by any means. The habit of classifying all people, events and phenomena into categories gives rise to generalization and ignoring the individual qualities of the object. Moreover, each category is endowed with a certain unchangeable assessment (“all hard workers are honest people”, “all rich people are thieves and liars”). Based on categories, a person loses objectivity, and with it, opportunities for those who are unfairly classified as dishonest or lacking in intelligence (after all, all blondes are “stupid”).

Another destructive stereotype of thinking - unreasonable expectations. From any event, person, from the future in general, a person with this stereotype always expects something: either bad or good. Losing objectivity, such a person attaches excessive importance to any event (or rather, the result of this event), which leads to the emergence of hope and, most often, disappointment, frustration, and resentment. Expectations with loved ones are especially disturbing: a person builds a system of expectations from a partner in advance, and if he does not fulfill them (and usually they are impossible to fulfill, because they are based not on the real capabilities of the partner, but on his idealized image), he experiences negative ones. This leads to quarrels, misunderstandings, attempts to change the partner and often to a break in the relationship.

Expectations can be of two types - the first are based on some kind of knowledge (), for example, “30-year-old men are ready to start a family,” and the second are groundless, based on fantasies and belief in ephemeral luck.

How to break stereotypes of thinking

A universal tool for combating stereotypes is the technique that I talked about earlier. As for special cases, here are some tips on how to get rid of the stereotypes described above:

If polar thinking and pessimism- this is your problem; the comparison method will help reduce or eliminate the harmful influence of this stereotype. Don’t be surprised at how simple it is, because, in fact, stereotypical thinking itself is primitive. The method consists of comparing an existing unfavorable situation with another, more negative one that could happen to you. This does not eliminate the problem completely, but it greatly reduces the negative effect of polarized thinking.
Sometimes polar thinking leads to overestimation of demands on oneself, maximalism. Then a person sets goals that are too ambitious and difficult to achieve and harshly criticizes himself in case of failure. Or does not begin to achieve them, turning into a dreamer. In this case, the advice is to set more realistic goals, work on self-esteem and start taking action - having completed the tasks, you can break the stereotype.
To combat stereotypes of unreasonable expectations and categorization, children's perception will help. Children are so open that they perceive everything as it is, they accept people regardless of their financial situation, and experience of successes and failures. Try on the model of children's thinking - be open to everything and draw conclusions about a person only after communicating with him, and not based on your ideas about what he is like.
If you are constantly being disappointed in your expectations, it will take gradual work to break this pattern. Whenever you catch yourself expecting, ask yourself the questions: “What are my expectations based on in this situation - on real premises or on my desire to get something?”, “Am I creating circumstances that make it difficult for me to fulfill my expectations? “,” “Do people understand what I expect from them and why I feel irritated if expectations are not met?”