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 sexes, nationalities, family members. For example, the notions that blondes aren't bright, blacks are good at basketball (and bass), and there is bound to be a confrontation 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 well-established habits of thinking can have an adverse effect on our personality, up to a destructive one. They can make us feel sad, dissatisfied, prevent us from enjoying the beautiful scenery, ruin our vacation trip, and even make us tired and stressed!

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

Such stereotypes do not necessarily refer to the behavior of certain social groups. They may relate to 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 you 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 stereotypes within that are interfering with your life. Let this text bring to the surface what is buried deep inside you and what you do not even notice.

Story 1 - Why aren't you walking?

Once upon a time after another week of work came the day off. Sometimes on those days you have to plan something, but I try not to dwell on it too much. Because planning is the prerogative of everyday life. And in order to give my mind a rest, I prefer to simply "join the flow", not think of anything and do what I want at the moment. Or do nothing, which I also love very much.

And on one of those days, I just sat at home and indulged in such a relaxed pastime, shuttled from room to room. I made tea, opened the browser, took out a book, or just lay back and relaxed.

Despite the fact that the weather was sunny and warm outside, I did not want to go anywhere that day. Why, because I was good at home!
But then they told me: “Such good weather, and you are sitting at home! Why aren't you walking?"

And I thought "Indeed, why am I sitting at home?"

And I began to think about where I should go. Nothing came to mind, friends parted. I felt somehow abandoned. While everyone is swimming in this wonderful weather, spending time outdoors, I sit and gather dust in my apartment!

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

After all, before I was asked “why don’t you walk?”, I enjoyed spending time at home. But then this question revived in me the stereotype that in good weather you must definitely walk. This stereotype cannot be called stupid and unfounded. Indeed, in our latitudes, good weather and sunshine 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 cloudy weather and slushy twilight, because the sun can also get bored.

In addition, it is necessary that the weekend coincide with this good weather, which happens even less often. Therefore, for many people, the chances to enjoy the warmth and the sun do not fall out so often.

The stereotype that echoed in me made me feel dissatisfied with what is here and now.

This eloquently demonstrates the notorious ability of our mind to create problems for itself. It is clear that the pleasure of some 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 fine day. As a result, the activity that gave me pleasure turned into something gray and mundane from just one phrase!

Have you ever had similar stories that are not necessarily related to the weather and walks? For example, you did something with dedication and pleasure, and then decided (either yourself or because of someone else's influence) that it was not right just because a person in your age / position / temperament is not “should” to do this? Such a stereotype can be related to your work, hobbies, relationships, listening to music, whatever! Strain your memory and remember those times when you fell into traps similar to me. It would be great if you share them in the comments.

Or maybe you get into them now, without realizing it? Then here's some advice for you. Do what you enjoy doing that doesn't harm you or other people. Do not fall victim to stereotypes that prevent you from enjoying what is here and now.

How do you know if you have fallen under the influence of such a stereotype? The key word is "should". When it flickers in your thinking, it will be better if you have an alarm light lit. And then ask yourself, what and to whom do you owe? Focus on what you like to do, not the majority, and draw the appropriate conclusions. For example, "even though everyone loves to go clubbing on Fridays, I'd rather spend time at home, not lamenting 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 will do what I like at the moment, and not what I “should” do according to some established ideas. I want to take a walk, I will take a walk. And if it would be more interesting for me to watch a movie at home, I will 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 make a video about him, to talk about his work as if from the point of view of foreigners. We, of course, agreed, but not with great willingness. The journey from us to his village was more than two hours by train only one way, not to mention the journey to his house from the station. By that time, I had already had time to get fed up with all these movements around India and I looked at the upcoming trip without much enthusiasm. “I wish I had stayed at home and worked.”, I thought angrily. But suddenly, as in the previous story, I managed to catch here a certain pattern of thinking, a stereotype of perception. I saw that, just by virtue of habit, the road for me was associated exclusively with haze and fatigue. “But why should I take it that way?” I asked myself.

“If you think that the road is necessarily a tedious task and set yourself up for this 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 rest and enjoy.

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

Instead of perceiving it as a tedious duty, I can treat the road as an interesting journey, an opportunity to take a break from work, 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 set off in a good mood.

On the train, I would relax, listen to music, and look out the window at the lush vegetation floating past, backwaters stretched along the railroad 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 time of the trip in order to relax and enjoy.

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 got 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 mood, but also physical fatigue depends on our installations!

If you think that the road is necessarily a tedious task and set yourself up for this 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 rest and enjoy.

Story 3 - Muscovites can't wait

Returning from India to Moscow, I perceived my hometown and its inhabitants in a completely new way. What I used to take 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 cons. And they were in Muscovites. I noticed that Muscovites absolutely cannot endure and wait.

I recently went to a government hospital where I had to wait in line. The people around me were patient 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 can 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 still. They don't even read books, they just stare patiently at the wall. Of course, the Indians will always take the chance to get in without a queue. But if such a chance does not turn up, they behave quite patiently and look with great surprise at the Europeans, who are always nervous, in a hurry and strive to download rights. Where to hurry? And most importantly why? From nervous swarming, the queue will not pass faster. Every Indian knows this. But not a Muscovite.

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

But if you look from the other side, then the queue is a great opportunity to forcefully rest. Why forced? Because busy, business people do not allow themselves much rest. Even in their free time, they solve some business. And in the queue 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 managed to develop persistent patterns of perception. Take a different look at the time when you need to wait, be bored and do something monotonous. Do not rush to “kill” this time so that it passes as quickly as possible. After all, these minutes or hours are priceless moments of your life, which you will not return later!

Stop nervously turning 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're waiting for your order in a restaurant, you'll 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 guidelines for overcoming stereotypes. But again, you won't be able to track them until you train your mind to do so. A person can follow some stereotype all his life, for example, that girls don’t like him and never understand that this belief is just a mental construct and has nothing to do with reality. As long as we are inside a habitual pattern of thought, we do not notice that such a pattern of thought exists at all. (Good examples of this are given in an article I read recently and highly recommend reading).

We are under the influence of this scheme, living it as if on an automatic machine, 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, I once again remind you that various practices for developing awareness will help you break stereotypes, for example,. First, it will teach you to observe established thought patterns from the outside, not to be involved in them. And, secondly, it will teach your mind 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 thought patterns, because this is bare observation without involvement in the processes of the mind.

It will also help you a lot if you often reflect on the actions that you do on the machine. Take a short break and ask yourself.

“Why do I do this and not otherwise? Are there any other ways to change the default actions"
“Why, having forgotten the keys to the house, I return there in excitement and nervousness. What will change from the fact that I will worry?
“Why do I try to run away from those emotions when I’m sad or scared? What happens if you try the other way around, accept them, soak them up?
“Why, when someone condemns or accuses me, do I get involved in counter-criticism? Can it be done differently?"
“Why am I constantly offended, is resentment the most effective way to resolve a conflict or internal contradictions?”
“Why do I think that I should lead a certain lifestyle, I should have some specific tastes. To whom do I owe it and why?

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

Much has been given to a person, 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 fear and self-doubt. To enjoy life, this negativity must be overcome.

Instruction

The fight against fears must begin with their awareness. To do this, choose a convenient time when no one will bother you. Stay on your own, dim the lights. Create a relaxing atmosphere. Close your eyes and think about what worries you the most, what prevents you from living a peaceful life.

Apply an effective psychological technique. Imagine that what you fear has already happened. Live it, think in the smallest detail how it can happen, and what will happen next. The most important thing is to determine what you can do in response to a development 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 thinking, and henceforth, when fear appears, mentally return to it.

In order to get rid of uncertainty, psychological exercises are not enough. Uncertainty is based on the fact that subconsciously a person believes that he is not good enough. This may apply to relationships with the opposite sex, as well as occupying a position, achieving a certain status, etc. Therefore, constantly train in the area in which you want to feel confident in your abilities: meet 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 serious orders, 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 so, 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 habitually spinning in the brain, your inner monologue. Chewing gum from words every day can bring a person to stress. There are tricks to help get rid of these annoying "insects".

You will need

- restructuring your thinking;
- general notebook;
- pen;
- meditation;
- pronouncing affirmations aloud;
- working out emotions /

Instruction

Engage in deprogramming - "rebuild" your brain, clear it of unnecessary garbage. Get rid of your beliefs - programs spinning in your head that spoil your mood and interfere with life. Destroy subconscious commands, like: "All freaks", "I'm afraid of beautiful people", "I'm guilty", "Laziness was born before me", "I have to work hard", "Soon I will go around the world with a bag" and many others, often unconscious and absurd.

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 working, it needs to be removed from the emotional charge. 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 "intuitive writing" technique. It consists in maintaining, 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, and my husband the least. “The emotion that feeds my cockroach: envy. I am terrible for my neighbor, whom her husband gave 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 the head" by the method of intuitive writing. Sit back, relax, turn off your phones, put on relaxing music, and passively observe your own thoughts. Catch the "cockroaches" and do not let them spin the ball of an 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 good”, “My thinking is clear and transparent, like a baby”, “Now I don’t think about anything ”, “I will never again experience anger, envy, greed and fear”, etc.

Release your emotions. Try to feel as much as possible what is bothering you. Imagine what could happen in the worst possible turn of events. Get over it, you can even cry if you want. Get rid of these emotions, you have already experienced everything and “worked out”.

Try to listen to people less. You mean listen to them? of course? necessary, but do not take everything too close to heart. And if they try to inspire you with "another cockroach", do not give in, have your own point of view.

Influenced

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

We are all disliked 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, one of them is 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, getting pleasure. More often, on the contrary, we try to scold ourselves. In this regard, it is very difficult for a child to give love when you yourself are clamped and afraid to make an extra move.

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

But how to live the way you want, even if close relatives are full of prejudices? If we talk about teenagers, for example, in any case they are in a dependent position from their parents, they do not have such a great personal experience. They need to find support. Some teachers in the school can give it, show understanding, not condemnation.

If we talk about adults, then everything depends on how much they independently make decisions. Those who live with their parents until the age of thirty are more susceptible to stereotyped 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 rapidly that a person can live several lives: change professions, constantly learn something, travel.

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

I see examples of happy people who stay open to the world and allow themselves to do whatever they want. - If they have a love for some 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 a 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 a light and positive person to build a life based only on their preferences. If you do not have such qualities, then it is fixable. The most basic 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 to go through an undesirable scenario. 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 and do not let go, pinch a person and become a significant reason to pull yourself together and try to change something.

Post-vacation trap

We all know people who, having returned from a vacation from another country, with burning eyes, say: "It's so cool there, I want to move, this is what I need." For some, this is an important resource, but for someone - a trap. When a person experiences a joyful moment in life, he falls into the illusion that everything is within his reach. And then he gets frustrated and asks himself: what is 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. Roughly speaking, relatives get used to it: you can’t climb here, we are also silent about this. We cannot change other people, but we can change our attitude towards their prejudices and moralizing.

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 it through aggression. This is not bad, but you need to ask yourself: is it comfortable to live like this? Understand what specifically catches, why other people can potentially influence.

By the way, remember how we were taught in childhood that being an egoist is bad? If now one of the relatives is trying to influence you: does not accept, condemns, then in fact, in such a distorted way, he just wants to receive love.

About the expert

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

Stereotypes are the scourge of modern society. Cliches, patterns, standards are found at every turn. “All the rich steal”, “a child must strictly obey his parents”, “every woman should give birth”, “men do not cry”… The list of such expressions can be continued indefinitely. Stereotypes are terrible, because they mercilessly generalize and treat everyone with the same brush, without taking into account the individuality of each person. And thinking by standards is even worse. However, about everything - in order.

Formation of templates

Before proceeding to the consideration of stereotypical thinking, it is necessary to talk about where the notorious standards come from.

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

What are the benefits of norms?

The standard way of thinking is really convenient. After all, it gives rise to the same patterns of behavior 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 the framework, live far-fetched norms. It is easy for them to inspire something additionally, to control them, to manipulate, to zombify.

In some stereotypes, of course, there is a rational grain. But in our time, even these patterns are twisted, distorted and taken to extremes.

About individuality

In modern society, it is very important not to lose yourself. Especially when the surrounding people tend to stereotypical thinking. 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. The people around do not agree with his views, convince him of the wrong, one might even say, are dissatisfied with him.

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

More persistent individuals do not pay attention to the opinions of others. And some even overestimate self-esteem, because they are able to think broadly, while others are limited by the framework. Thus, he himself encourages his individuality. People who are unable to do this begin to live as others expect them to, 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 determine suitable and desirable models for both sexes. Stereotypes support and reproduce them. Here are the most common:

A man should not cry, talk about his feelings, do housework.
A woman is obliged to be the keeper of the hearth, and not a careerist, a free person or someone else. Her tasks are cooking, washing, cleaning, reproducing, and caring for the head of the family.
If a woman does not have a family, she is necessarily unhappy.
A man is obliged to engage in a solid or brutal business. Professions such as, for example, a designer, stylist, artist and many others are too "unmanly".

It is worth noting that stereotyped thinking in terms of gender is embedded in the minds of people from childhood. Girls buy dolls and toy kitchen sets. Boys - cars and robots. And even in kindergarten, it can happen that the teacher, noticing how the girl is playing with some kind of transformer with interest, will send her to put 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, and in his homeland, in order to serve the state, and not look for a better life abroad. He played a wedding, “like everyone else”, created a family, and always with children. That's right - this is when a person does not stand out from society and lives like everyone else.

But the bottom line 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

It also contains a lot of patterns. A professional stereotype is a personified image of a specialty. There is also the concept of image. This is an image that endows any social phenomenon with certain characteristics. A kind of "semi-finished product", designed for conjecture by society. The image has an inspiring function, so it often turns into a stereotype. Here are some examples:

Psychologists know everything about us. Only by one glance they are able to determine what a particular person is.
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 paint it as perfection.
Journalist. Borzopisets. Someone who is willing to publish any misinformation for money.

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

In children

Stereotypical thinking in the smallest is also manifested to one degree or another. On another 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 take on faith what was said, without even a second doubt. And it is this reaction that will say 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, emotionality. Take, for example, the first marker listed. It assumes belief in information only because its source is an authority figure. Can a child doubt what his parents, elders or teachers have told him?

By the way, there is another interesting point here - examples of stereotypical thinking in relation to children. What do they need, according to the templates? Always obey your parents, embody their unfulfilled dreams and desires in your life, get only "five" and provide a glass of water in old age. And many mothers and fathers do not disdain all of the above to put 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 stereotyped. Simply correct, generally accepted. But some people care about this issue, 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 tips:

You have to learn not to judge. For they are labels that limit the freedom of perception. How to do it? Just look at the world without judging it. Don't comment, just watch.
You have to track your movements. So it will be possible to understand which of them are stereotyped and which are not. Each action must be brought into the sphere of awareness. This will help in the destruction of personal stereotypes, as well as teach you to live in the moment. What about examples? Here is the simplest one: people are standing at the elevator. They are waiting for him. But most will still press the button, knowing that the elevator is already moving.
Understand that everyone is 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. No need to approve - just accept this fact, understand and not condemn.
Engage in the development of horizons. This is important for everyone who is concerned about the question of how to get rid of stereotypical thinking. Expanding horizons, and with it the scope. New knowledge, fresh thoughts, food for reasoning appear, views often change. If this does not get rid of patterns, then it will expand the boundaries for sure.

There are books that break stereotypical thinking completely. Again, everyone has different tastes, but most recommend reading the literature of the postmodern era. Authors such as Patrick Suskind, Chuck Palahniuk, John Fowles, for example. Or DBC Pierre, Julian Barnes, Toole, Jennifer Egan. And 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 them in psychology.

The topic of stereotypes (templates, patterns) of perception, thinking and behavior is so extensive that it can be studied all your life. But what if stereotypes are preventing you from living the life you want right now? After studying a lot of materials, I came to the conclusion that stereotypes of thinking have the greatest restraining and harmful power, since perception and behavior follow from thought processes. What is a stereotype? This is a habitual, well-established model 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 can be seen with 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 routes? I think not to those who aspire to! So let's figure out how to break stereotypes of thinking.

Classification of thinking stereotypes

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

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

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

Overgeneralization detrimental to humans. This stereotype of thinking is manifested 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 such thinking, a person himself closes most of the doors for himself, i.e. opportunities, loses, falls into. A person suffering from this stereotype creates an immutable self-image and can live with it all his life - this is called inflexible thinking. While in a healthy situation, a person is a process that is constantly changing and renewing.

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

Signs of selective thinking are: belief in the correctness of only one’s views bordering on fanaticism, inability to critically analyze them, the immutability of these views, lack of interest in everything that does not correspond to them, evaluation of 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 referring all people, events and phenomena to categories, gives rise to generalization and ignoring the individual qualities of the object. At the same time, each category is endowed with a certain unchanging assessment (“all hard workers are honest people”, “all rich people are thieves and deceivers”). Based on categories, a person loses objectivity, and with it, the opportunity for those who are undeservedly categorized as dishonest or deprived of the mind (after all, all blondes are “stupid”).

Another pernicious stereotype of thinking - unreasonable expectations. From any event, person, from the future as a whole, 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, because they are based not on the partner’s real capabilities, but on his idealized image), he experiences negative ones. This leads to quarrels, misunderstandings, attempts to remake a partner and often to a break in relations.

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

How to break stereotypes of thinking

A universal tool for dealing with 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 nullify the harmful effects of this stereotype. Do not be surprised at how simple it is, because, in fact, stereotypical thinking itself is primitive. The method consists in comparing the existing unfavorable situation with another, more negative one that could happen to you. This does not completely eliminate the problem, but it greatly reduces the negative effect of polar thinking.
Sometimes polar thinking leads to an overestimation of the requirements for oneself, maximalism. Then a person sets himself too large-scale, difficult to achieve goals and harshly criticizes himself in case of failure. Or does not start to achieve them from, turning into a dreamer. In this case, the advice is to set more realistic goals, work on self-esteem and take action - by completing the tasks, you can break the stereotype.
To combat the stereotypes of unreasonable expectations and categorization, children's perception will help. Children are so open that they perceive everything as it is, accept people regardless of their financial situation, and the experience of successes and failures. Try on the model of childish thinking - be open to everything and draw conclusions about a person only after you communicate with him, and not based on your ideas about what he is.
If you are constantly deceived in your expectations, gradual work will be required to break this stereotype. Whenever you catch yourself waiting, ask yourself: “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 annoyed if expectations are not met?”.