A Stereotype is a common belief about a particular category of things or a group of people, such as their personality, preferences, appearance or ability.
For example: French are fashionable, arrogant, romantic, and have poor hygiene.
Germans are punctual, hardworking, straightforward, and have no sense of humor.
Americans are optimistic, loud, materialistic, and lack cultural awareness.
And Japanese are shy, disciplined, can't drink alcohol, and love anything cute.
Accurate or not, stereotypes help our mind to categorize information and make predictions - so that we can act fast without thinking.
Whether you agree or disagree with any of the cliches we presented about the French, Germans, Americans, and Japanese, two types of stereotypes might have clouded your judgment.
Explicit Stereotypes are preconceptions you are aware of. For instance, you may have heard of the cliche that the French are arrogant.
Armed with this self-awareness, you try to interact with each French individual from a seemingly unbiased standpoint.
However, you might still be judgmental, because of another sort of stereotype.
