Perspectives and Stereotyping

Perspectives are why people think so differently. They can help unite those with the same perspective and accomplish amazing things. However, they can also alienate anyone with an opposing view. For example, in Frederick Douglass's speech, he talks about the Fourth of July from the African-American point of view, and says "I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary" (Douglas). He claims that African Americas do not see the fourth of July the way that white people do. This is not the only example. It can be seen with the rich and the poor, jocks and nerds, thrill-seekers and worrywarts, etc. The list goes on and on. People often times have different perspectives on a wide variety of topics and can't understand why the other group does what they do.

 My life composes of a mix between a rigorous workload from school and hours upon hours of swimming. There have been times when kids on my swim team ask why I take so many AP's and put in extra time to improve my standardized test scores, and there are also times when friends from school wonder why I spend so much time swimming up and down a pool staring at a black line. While this does show how people of tend to always look at things through their point of view while giving no thought as to the thoughts of the other group, it more importantly shows the negative boundaries of stereotyping. Take me for example, why does me being an athlete automatically make me somebody who doesn't care as much about grades or me being a studious kid automatically make me somebody who couldn't possibly enjoy participating in sports? People need to realize that boundaries between interests aren't black and white, and that these blurred lines between interests are what make us so unique.