No. 304 · Your own mind · Human Nature and Judgement
Tendency to Stereotype
We judge people by the group they seem to belong to, not by who they are.
In the Almanac
“Margaret Floy Washburn”, 1894–1931 · “Ben & Jerry’s”, 1978
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Tendency to Stereotype?
The tendency to stereotype is our brain's habit of judging people or situations by broad categories rather than individual characteristics. These shortcuts can save time, but they often lead to oversimplified and unfair judgements that harm both decisions and relationships.
How do you use Tendency to Stereotype?
Before making a judgement, pause and ask: is this based on evidence about this person or situation, or on a category? Seek out individual information and experiences that challenge your assumptions, and in hiring or evaluation use structured criteria that focus on the individual.
When does Tendency to Stereotype matter?
Tendency to Stereotype is one of the 31 mental models for your own mind, the situations where you ask: Is my own thinking leading me astray? Within that, it belongs to “Seeing what you want to see”, alongside Blind Spot Bias, Cognitive Dissonance and Commitment and Consistency Bias.
What is an example of Tendency to Stereotype?
Two stories show it at work: Margaret Floy Washburn (1894–1931) and Ben & Jerry’s (1978). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Tendency to Stereotype?
Hasty Generalisation, Secrets and Base Rate Fallacy. Tendency to Stereotype itself comes from human nature and judgement.