Anarchistbanjo's World

When we see a person at work or on the street do we know if they act that way at home? Do we always know how our kids act away from home? Do we act differently at home and when we are away from home?

Each individual is very complex with many hobbies, interests and life experiences. Even if we know someone very well we can still be surprised at some of the things they do.

We use the limited knowledge we have about people to form images or stereotypes. We use these images to help us understand and deal with every person in our lives. Because of these images or stereotypes we are sometimes surprised when people don’t respond in the way we are expecting them to. We may even need to reevaluate others and treat them differently as we learn more about them.

One of the most powerful ways to achieve our goals and to experience the things we want in life is to act, dress, and live in a manner that will create the image or stereotype that is appropriate for achieving our goals. Through repeated exposure to the image we are projecting others will stereotype us in a manner that is consistent with our own goals and treat us the way we want to be treated. They will help support us in achieving our goal!

When people don’t recognize the image we project they will create one of their own and we probably won’t like it. Who wants to be labeled as a loser or a freak? We have to give people clues about how we want to be treated.

First we create a general image or stereotype that is recognizable to others. Then we can create a subcategory that is unique and individual that reveals more of our true inner self. We must be true to the stereotype that we project and at the same time remain true to ourselves. Remember an image or stereotype tends toward self-fulfillment because everyone else constantly reinforces it. It is up to us to choose what we want to be in life and let others know how to treat us.