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I get called gothic all the time and in case the world didn't know its a religion and I don't fit that styrotype at all. and people still call me that goth girl and crap like that. The few people who go to my school who do know it's a religion thinkthat gothcs worship satin and are evil. How did this all start. Also why do people that wear sweat shirts get call Emo. A girl called me Emo and she claims to know me soo well but if she knew me should would have known that I find Styrotpyes to be the most affensive thing ever invented. I find it funny that so many people hate Streotypes but then they go and call people goth prep emo and other crap like that.

So where do you stand on the issue of Styreotpes? And where did they come from?

I agree with everything you said even the prep part I bet the would know!

Stereotypes exist to aid the uninformed in making snap judgements. That isn't a bad thing in and of itself, as there are times when relying on a series of snap judgements is far more feasible than conducting drawn-out studies and careful evaluation of all variables that are perceptibly relevant--especially if action needs to be taken in a hurry, which isn't uncommon in hectic workplaces and during accidents.

But a "good enough" solution is seldom good enough over the long term. First impressions are most helpful in the initial discernment of likely answers to questions one might have, but it should be understood that likely answers aren't the only valid answers.

It is snap judgements that keep us safe from a lot of dangers, which is why they were developed. When you see a tiger, you fear it because you stereotype that it is dangerous, even if that particular tiger is completely tame. Walking down a dark street, a person with tattoos, unkempt clothing and hygeine, or dark clothing instills fear in us because we stereotype that person as being dangerous.

To keep these snap judgements when it comes to non-life-threatening matters, however, I must agree is quite foolish.

Those are excellent examples of what I meant to say. 3nodding

In the case of the tiger, there's no harm in assuming that it's dangerous and preparing to run from or defend against it, but there is a problem with striking the first blow before taking more time to determine whether the tiger actually is a threat.

What dboyzero said is true. We often make judgements like this when we are trying to figure out if something, or someone is dangerous, or non threatening. To say that it is bad to make these judgements, then make them against another group while hypocritical, is understandable.
For instance, many fear "preps". The people who are given this label often ridicule others. No one likes to be ridiculed, and many fear the embarrassment that ridicule causes.
People who get labeled "goth" are often feared by others, because they dress differently, and many don't understand these people. Again people fear the unknown.
When someone labels another "emo" they are admitting that they don't fear them. These judgements go both ways. Some stereotypes are not feared, and when a label is applied it means "I don't fear them."
It is part of human nature. It was here long before we were, and will be long after we are gone. It does have it's uses, in that it helps people determine if fear is needed.
Had we not had it in our genes, we would never have evolved to the point we are now at, as our ancestors would have been eaten by tigers, and bears long, long ago.

Is fear a necessary element of stereotyping? I think of stereotyping as a general, quick (and hopefully temporary) classification.

I may stereotype to guess, without properly knowing someone, whether they are a diligent worker. Whether they may be interested in some topic I'd like to discuss. Whether they're the right person to ask for a question I might have. Whether they're likely to have stolen something from me. Whether they're in an approachable mood. And so on.

It's not just about "goth" or "prep" or other such mainstream classifications. Snap judgments can also be made about whether someone is lazy, knowledgeable, irritable, lost, ambitious... The whole range of adjectives. A lot of those stereotypes will be based on what other people tell us and our own personal experience with people fitting some descriptions, so different people may have different stereotypical judgements of the same things.

With a personal stereotype, then, there's a hope that even if you're misunderstood by some people, that other will understand you. Mainstream stereotypes where pretty much everyone thinks the same thing about the same conditions are terribly dangerous.

First off, it's spelled stereotypes. Second off, it's spelled offensive. Thirdly, define stereotypes. Judging people by their appearance, or by the way they act. If they judge someone by looks, and stereotype them, it's wrong. People are trying to fitin, so they dress the part. If it's by the way they act, it could be either way. There are a few people in this world who actually act like themselves, rather than trying to fill the definition of "cool." What most of you call stereotypes are just different titles that are assigned to different personalities. If you hate the world, your a goth. If you hate your self, your an Emo (Or is it the other way around?) Geeks are totally obssesed with a specific Idea (Band, Math, etc.), while nerds make time for other things like friends, if they can find any. A jock plays a sport. A gamer gets his tan from a computer screen. What you call "Steryotypes" Are really a set of qualities that define people. I myself am a nerdy, gaming, prep. I don't get upset over it, I just accept it. I know other people may not like it, but it is who I am.