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Fed up of Being Branded and Put In a Box
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Fed up of Being Branded and Put In a Box

Seperaii
Initiate

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Joined: May 08, 2008
Total Topics: 1
Total Posts: 2

Posted 05/08/08 - 02:33 PM: Subject: Fed up of Being Branded and Put In a Box	#1
Hey. I'm new to these forums, but please don't hold back on any insults, sarcasm or contradictions to what I say. I'd like to use this post the introduce myself. My name is Tom, Im a student and I live in the UK. I was told about these forums by a person I know, wouldn't go so far as to say friend. So I thought that it would give a nice outlet for my abundense sarcasm and impulse to argue. - - - - - This is somthing that I tend to think about, one of the few things that I think about a lot. In the modern day society, I find it a compleate joke that people are able to simply look at any given person on the street, and within 30 seconds brand them; knowing how they act, simply from what they are wearing at that moment. Here in the UK there are 4 boxes that we are allowed to be put into by people that we have never met before. These little box walls forbit anyone from different boxes from socialising, giving a society far from what we had just 50 years ago. How many of you know the name of your next-door-neighbour, and when was the last time you had a nice chat with them? I hate the way that our brand new "Superficial nation" (Nice thought I thought up) allows people just to be put into boxes all their life before being put in their final box, un-mourned and un-loved a million miles from what they knew as "home". People are prepared to lable anyone, without even speaking a word to them. Fair enough. If, at midnight, you are walking home and a group of 18 "Hooded youths" approach you, you may be entitled to an opinion, be it before or after the almost enevatable mugging. Other than that...Stop. Stop labeling people for what they look like, be it at work or collage. Stop thinking that just because someone dresses slihtly different from you, talking to them with result in a Court-Marshall. And most of all, Stop labeling people yourself, no one likes a hypocrit. - - - - - Your responces would be greatly apprechiated. And I also have a niggling that "No one likes a hypocrit" will get thrown back in my face. Tom

jimRH7
Student

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Joined: Jan 09, 2008
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Total Posts: 54

Posted 05/08/08 - 03:38 PM:	#2
I completely agree, And I am very much guilty of labelling people. I hate the fact that people can just be stereotyped and put in pidgeon holes generally, I feel a concious fear of becoming a stereotype myself, although I think it's really unaviodable and I am probably one right now without realising it. The worst thing is, the stereotypes are usually right. That's why modern advertising works, it is aimed at a target audience, if you watch closely you can tell which adverts are aimed at which type of person. Even where an advert is shown is a massive contrabution to this - Soap operas are so called because they featured adverts for washing powder, aimed at the wives sitting at home watching it.

The_Rational_Animal
Übermensch

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Joined: Mar 21, 2008
Location: München, Germany
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Total Posts: 137

Posted 05/08/08 - 04:11 PM:	#3
Seperaii wrote: In the modern day society, I find it a compleate joke that people are able to simply look at any given person on the street, and within 30 seconds brand them; knowing how they act, simply from what they are wearing at that moment. Here in the UK there are 4 boxes that we are allowed to be put into by people that we have never met before. These little box walls forbit anyone from different boxes from socialising, giving a society far from what we had just 50 years ago. How many of you know the name of your next-door-neighbour, and when was the last time you had a nice chat with them? This ability is essential, it's a massive time saver. I don't try to make friends with people who embody certain characteristics which I find repulsive, which saves me the time of "getting to know them". If all people hid their true selves, it would be a very deceptive world and I admire people who show others who they really are, not because I believe it to be brave or somewhat courageous, but because its efficient for me and for them. The social world is like a huge supermarket; most times you have something in mind that you're looking for, sometimes you just want something, and other times something just jumps off the shelf at you and surprises you. Therefore, I leave it to those whom I am judging to "surprise" me with actions that contradict the "box" I put them in. Otherwise, leave me my labels. Seperaii wrote: I also have a niggling that "No one likes a hypocrit" will get thrown back in my face. I actually love Hypocrites. Hypocrites are lovably predictable.
_____________________ "Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong." ~Ayn Rand

SIR2U
Why

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Joined: Nov 17, 2006
Location: Honduras
Total Topics: 16
Total Posts: 697

Posted 05/08/08 - 06:43 PM:	#4
seperaii, you wrote: Here in the UK there are 4 boxes that we are allowed to be put into by people that we have never met before. Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds 1962 The idea is not knew, it's been around almost as long as man has. you wrote: giving a society far from what we had just 50 years ago. I thought you said you were a student. Awfully old to be studying no. I was in the UK 50 years ago and I definitly remember being told not to associate with this or that group. you wrote: If, at midnight, you are walking home and a group of 18 "Hooded youths" approach you, you may be entitled to an opinion, be it before or after the almost enevatable mugging. Other than that...Stop. Stop labeling people for what they look like, be it at work or collage. It's a good thing we do label these people as dangerous, we would get our butts kicked more often if we didn't. People in groups usually name themselves, or aquire names associated with their actions. We in the "out group" just tend to use more derogative terms for them.
_____________________ Unknown Alanic wiseman. "Ignorance and bad teeth have at least one thing in common. Keeping your mouth closed makes them both less obvious"

DarkHorse
Aspirant

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Joined: Apr 14, 2008
Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 36

Posted 05/09/08 - 07:25 AM:	#5
I find all this modern concern about stereotyping to be quite amusing. I also find that stereotypes are often correct. Many get quite upset at this assertion, but I would suggest that stereotypes have to come from somewhere, meaning that somewhere, somehow, and at some time, they were right. Just a thought. Hoka Hey!
_____________________ History is the only laboratory we have in which to test the consequences of thought.--Etienne Gilson

DoctorInWaiting
banned

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Joined: May 01, 2008
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Posted 05/09/08 - 10:08 AM:	#6
Society in itself here in the UK is very focused on Just world beliefs, the halo effect and social divisions. Its quite sad the way we label people as soon as in such a primacy effect-esque way that people are discriminated or favoured. Being a neo marxist and a psychologist I say a big two fingers to it yes it is a utopian belief but I at least do that myself even if the masses don't, I'm a student and work in a prison as a shadowing psychologist and boy howdy do you see the effects in there! Edited by Paul on 05/09/08 - 07:13 PM. Reason: illiteracy
_____________________ "The Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point however is to change it" Marx and Engels "Freedom of conscience entails more dangers than authority and despotism." Michel Foucault Society is rebelled against if society condemns

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