Stereotypes Can Be Good, Sometimes Let’s start with a line in the sand. I think stereotypes are unhelpful, if not destructive, in many situations. But our brains use them to help us move through the world without shutting down from mental overload. So Why Do It? Stereotypes are tools for our minds. We all make snap judgements about people, based on our experience of and memories of things and people in the world. It’s often useful to make these generalisations, which is why we have evolved to do it. When we encounter something new, we use stereotypes to help us make quick decisions and avoid overloading our brain. A useful…
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It’s Good to Rebel (Kindly)
Aren’t Rebels Bad? Society often paints rebellion as a bad thing. Stability and structure are key to society humming along nicely. But without a bit of rebelling, society loses out. On good ideas, on adapting to a changing world, on getting the best out of everyone. And the best Rebels are Kindly ones. A couple of my favourite rebels – Rosa Parks and Galileo were Rebels who made a great impact in equality and science respectively – are great examples of rebelling for good. Why be a rebel at all? Do you want a bigger life, full of experiences rather than stuff? Are you too small, old, conventional, quiet, bullish,…