Why do people feel the need to generalise ?

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Tony Soprano

generalizing is a method that our mind employs to classify and absorb phenomena

if you focus on tress only and not look at the broader picture, you'll get lost ... so, this way or another you have to 'generalize' things and hold on to the expression "exceptions do not spoil the rule" (istisnalar kaideyi bozmaz)

BTW... who do you think would win a debate between Adnan Hoca vs Fethullah Hoca?

(The referee must be Medyum Memis)

Joannah

It is not because all of them have malice in mind. In most cases people tend to generalize a race or group of people so as to describe them combinatorially. This generalization is not only limited between races but it is as you said "people" in every one of us. When I was in Azerbaijan, whenever their was an Azeri woman who behaved a little "unrefined" they would say she came from the "villages" and not an unrefined Bakunian.

In a milder sense when my son asked me how Turks were in general, I can't very well tell him, "sorry son, I haven't met enough of them to give you the whole picture because not every Turk is alike". I gave him a general idea of how the people were from my experience and sent him off on a trip to Turkey for good measure. When he comes back, I am sure his friends would ask him how Turks were and of course he would generalize. It is a natural process. You can't expect a 13 year old to give a warning that says, "Hey, each and every Turk is different".

Generalization over people or actions avoid keeping separate and tedious statistics (as you pointed out) for the huge number of individuals and actions that can be chosen. In most cases where you can't meet or get to know each person, the need for generalization is even more pronounced. Sadly, it has positive and negative effects.

anlarm

People generalize out of ignorance and fear. By generalizing and creating a negative image of the "other", they believe they are protecting themselves. In a way it's "we" are better than "them". It is wrong of course. When one is well educated and refined, one realizes that it is wrong to label a group of people or a nation. Unfortunately there are many people who have not reached that level of understanding. This actually has nothing to do with age, sex, color, or the diploma one has. Because diploma is not always equal to being educated and refined.

Ipek K

Because some people have an opinion without having the knowledge first. It also got to do with peoples narrow point of views: just like the fish in a tank who thinks it has all the water in the word.

That is exactly why people have to read, travel, observe and communicate more in order to broaden their horizons.

Claudia

I also agree....you find good and bad people all over the world.

Trotsky vs Kerensky- ÐÐµÐºIÐ¾!

It is to exert one's power upon the "unknown". Sentences like "All Turks are like bik bik bik" is assumed to show how knowledgeable one is compared to the other people present in that particular conversation. It is sort of an ego satisfying activity I suppose.

Also if one has a personal grudge to a person belonging to that community or nation, there is a high possibility that the intention behind making a generalization is down to the humanly desire of mending a hurt soul or to elevate the damaged ego or to reattain one's dignity. For instance, girls dumped by Turkish guys.

The third reason can really be associated with ignorance. You see three black storks and then you ingeniously deduct that all storks are black. This kind of acquirement of information is popular among people who have been devoid of any kind of knowledge except of the minimal information they need to survive their pitiful, empty lives. ("ohh why am I learning this I don't careeeee!!!") Like my classmate asking me how I look white if I am Turkish. (I confess, I've been through innumerable operations like Michael Jackson)

kulla

My dear adaÅŸ,
People have prejudgement.And I think it is the worst thing on behalf of peace.

Qu'est ce que tu pense?

I completely understand. I hate it too when people say awful things about Turkish men. The majority of them are actually quite nice, and whoever says that they are "terrible" men says this only because they had a bad experience with just 1 guy.

hanibal

generally I don't like to generalize :) But the answer is hidden at the languages I think.

DejaVu

some people learn life by simply living
and some learn it from books
some use their pure intelligence to see...

so generalising has positive and negative results

its not always bad as most people think

edd

perhaps it is because,learning or knowing starts with generalization.

Hurricane

it's a deep subject in psychology that should be critized for hours,but in summary our brain is forced to that.Brain is programmed to generalize.For example you have been tortured by a group of black people in NYC,this is a very bad situation,you start to hate this situation and you start to hate all black people finally,but only a couple of them tortured you.
i wanna say lots of things about this subject but my limited english don't let me tell me more :-)

i realized that i can be an author,black people tortures a girl in Hyde Park :P

istanbul bogazi

Ayse these people are uncultured and one visioned. If someone doesn't read, doesn't travel and doesn't want to learn what others are doing in the world and stays biased the only comment he/she will ever make will be the kind of comments like you mentioned above.
I just pity them and feel sorry for them.

laura k

I totally agree with you. I think its completley out of order that some people will just judge a person from where there from and just assume something dreadful from them. I met turkish men in turkey and they were decent and very respectful to girls, unlike some men which i know.
It isn't about where your from that makes you a good person. It depends on the person wherever they are from.

Roxy_loveit

i agree.
i hate how people are saying that turkish men only want visas.
and lots of stories etc.
it is terrible.
every where in the world has good and bad.
i agree with you !

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