Are stereotypes bad?

Are stereotypes bad? A good question! Stereotypes are not bad, but they are risky- risky enough to cause errors in perception and reinforce self-existing beliefs. In psychology, we have a word called SCHEMA: schema is a cognitive framework or mental template that has been built through unique experiences to organise and interpret information and make sense of the world. For example, the schema built towards Dogs is that Dogs bark and are naturally guard dogs, so if we meet a dog that does not bark but meows, it automatically disrupts the existing schema that believes dogs bark. I gave this example to say that a stereotype is a schema about a group of people. The thin line between a schema and a stereotype is that a schema, when faced with evidence that contradicts it, it adjusts, while a stereotype tends to resist updating but make room for exceptions. Why stereotypes are risky is that they are a bunch of curated assumptions, which most of the time aren't true. So when next you find yourself viewing from that stereotyped point of view, pull yourself back and ask yourself Am I just assuming, or are these facts? This question saves you from perceptual errors.