Stereotyping, bias and generalization are major problems in contemporary societies and this shows a lack of holistic education. Education system doesn’t work well, in any western country. Governments prefer less educated citizens. Otherwise citizens who use better their mind would revolute against the violation of their rights and realize that with capitalism rich become richer and poor become poorer.

Hitler used the stereotype of the superior – Arian German nation and the inferior other nations, especially the Jews that were considered from the Nazis as the reason of any problem in earth. So Hitler manipulated with this stereotype, bias and generalization the whole German nation in order to make World War II and conquer Europe.

Perhaps Hitler’s stereotype against the Jews was originated by the stereotype that the Jews crucified Christ (however this is a coincidence and any nation could be the one that could execute Jesus) and also perhaps from the fact that some Jews were bankers in Europe during the last centuries (however even though a few Jews were bankers, that doesn’t mean that all Jews control global economy).

Some say that Hitler was himself a Jew, but this is unproven and perhaps a bias! By the way, the previous phrase, such as the phrases ‘some say’ or ‘it is said’ or ‘resources mention that’ are also often used by the media (and especially news or political interviews or conversations on TV), is a trick for someone to impose his opinion or say something without any proof for it or to avoid being sued.

Also the phrase ‘research has demonstrated’ is deceptive, because does not mention which was research, how big was the sample, if it was ‘evidence based’ and the method they used (e.g. double blind trial, or meta-analysis). For the same reason, political polls are, most of them, deceptive. Many times on the news we hear about a research that makes us believe that a disease, such as cancer, is defeated. However, patients have a false hope for their cure and this is unacceptable. Journalists should first consult experts about the research they refer to on their stupid TV shows or magazines. But many experts haven’t got updated knowledge!

Scientists should use more ‘evidence based’ data. In medicine this is mandatory. Everything in medicine should be evidence based, otherwise it has bias. Many doctors not only aren’t updated, but also do not follow evidence based data. There are internet sites with evidence based medicine such as http://ebm.bmjjournals.com and the Cochrane www.nelh.nhs.uk/cochrane Evidence Based Medicine uses meta-analysis, retrospective studies and other analysis of several trials to show whether or not is evidence for something. A single research is useless. An article without reference is also useless.

About dictionaries and finding the meaning of words there is a good site on the internet called Wikipedia http://wikipedia.org which uses the ‘corpus’ and also is update. Cambridge university dictionary uses also the corpus for the data of the words.

Politicians use many of the above tricks, such as ‘people say’, or ‘I express the public view’. They frequently use (many times manipulated) opinion polls (that in fact express the opinion of a minority) etc. Politicians use especially the TV in order to manipulate people; however this is still a stereotype, because all politicians aren’t the same! It would be better to use the word ‘some’, for politicians.

So, today there are many stereotypes, bias and generalizations that some politicians and some governments use, in order to manipulate and persuade the masses. For example notions such as ‘Muslims are terrorists’, or ‘Sadam is evil’ (however the USA did not find any nuclear weapon that Sadam supposed to have, giving them the excuse to attack Iraq).

Of course the motive of all this labeling is usually economic and is used to justify a war or the violation of citizens rights e.g. with the excuse of ‘terrorism’ the system used surveillance cameras everywhere and many human rights, even home asylum, are violated because everyone is a potential suspect – ‘terrorist’. Perhaps capital (and capitalism) is the real terrorist, however this may be also considered as a bias! After all it is impossible for anyone not to use stereotypes, bias and generalizations; however the trick is not to use them very often!

History is a field where bias is used extremely often. History is subjective and describes the historian’s personal view. It is often used to increase nationalism and chauvinism. Most histories describe heroic exploitations and heroic wars. But in real life, history in all countries is written with blood e.g. British Empire conquered the world by slaughtering million of people. USA’s history is also written with blood (USA, since it was an independed nation, attacked to many countries, not only Vietnam). It’s time people to write things as they really are and not write ridiculous stories that are far away from reality, but just used to make people feel proud (for nothing).

It may be supported that today in western society most people have high education degree or degrees, however a degree doesn’t ensure a holistic, spherical and completed education. Overspecializing is contemporary stupidity. And yes, this is a generalization! Plenty of people have high education, but few people have completed holistic education that is not just sterile knowledge. Perhaps ancient Greek philosophers had this kind of education. But it is sure that today it doesn’t exist!

People use often stereotypes, bias and generalization usually as racial and discriminative notions. ‘Conspiracy theories’ are a way of stereotyping. Some use these conspiracy theories and claim that the ‘Jews’ or the ‘masons’ or even the ‘UFOs’ control the word! These plot theories are not a coincidence, but are deliberately launched from the system in order to diminish any responsibility that everyone has.

Although the Jewish lobby has great power in controlling the foreign policy of the US, it is not wised to say that the Jews control the world. Also, accepting that the ‘Bildemberg club’ controls the world is naïve. Bildemberg club is an international club that does conventions and conversations usually about economy and globalization and one of its members is (said to be) Henry Kissinger. Neither the ‘UFOs’ (that formal US president Reagan supposed to refer to them on his speeches!) are responsible for global problems (e.g. the economic crisis).

The plotting and conspiracy theories make people less responsible to fight for their violation of their rights by the (capitalistic) system that considers all as suspects and potential ‘terrorists’... However we don’t know the real power of the above lobbies and the notion that they do not control the world means that they do not have the political power to control things. We just need more evidence to prove it.

There are also many stereotypes such as the one that says that the ‘immigrants increase criminality’ (however it is capitalism and the dysfunctional of family that does), or that ‘the black people are gang members’ etc. Most stereotypes consist of discriminations about races (e.g. immigrants, blacks, Latinos), religions (e.g. Jews, masons) and political ideas (e.g. communists, anarchist). It’s kind of weird that even though most people avoid making comments about race, religion and political ideas on a conversation, however most stereotypes and bias involve these 3 subjects!

Although some stereotypes, generalizations and bias are based in real information, this is twisted, or over exaggerated and manipulated. For example the stereotype that immigrants or black and Latinos increase delinquency is based from the information that most prisoners (especially in Europe) aren’t natives, but from minorities such as immigrants or black or (in the US) Latinos. In Europe uncontrolled immigration (with most of the immigrant illegal) has increased delinquency rates more than 3 times. Not all the immigrants are thefts or smugglers or thugs, but a minority that makes people generalize. In whole America there are gangs that pray the cities and criminality is very high. There are countries, such as Mexico, in which gangs control everything.

However the minorities weren’t born criminals, but rose in ghettos and were unemployed or exploited to wok like slaves, with low wages and without insurance. So inevitably they joined a gang in order to find easy money. Also the generalization is false. A black man may become a gang member; however he may become even the President of the US!

People use stereotypes, bias and generalizations since their early childhood and the reason is that brain seems to classify things better by using generalizations and patterns that, when over exaggerated, can be transformed to stereotypes, bias and generalizations. Childhood is the age that stereotypes, bias and generalization are used overly in order to label people. Indeed, children may be very cruel and often they offend and/or violate against other children that are disabled, or from a different race/ immigrants. Bullying is a great problem in school and later in life.

Stereotyping, using bias and generalizing begin in early childhood (learned by the family and the media/ internet) and are perpetuated in whole life. Children learn these patterns of criticizing and classifying people from their family. So, family and education do not eliminate these patterns, but increase them.

Governments, as mentioned, have a better reason for using these patterns. The system, (if I name it as capitalism, it would considered as a bias!), manipulates easier people by using stereotypes, bias and generalizations. Media such as TV, magazines, radio and newspapers use plenty of stereotypes, bias and generalizations. Such does the internet with video games, videos and texts. For example on the internet, on the ‘YouTube’ someone can find videos labeled with tags such as ‘retarded’, ‘fat boy’, ‘negro’ etc.

Gays often are treated like dirt and named with many vulgar words such as fagots, sissies etc. This is quite fascistic. Many countries don’t leave homosexual couples even marry! There are also many stereotypes about gay people, such as that gay men are ‘less men’ than the other men (something quite ridiculous, because many ‘straight’ men are themselves ‘less men’ when they abuse their girlfriend or children), or that gay couples shouldn’t adopt children (however ‘straight’ families are the ones that abuse or neglect their children). Even the word ‘straight’ is discriminative and fascistic. But also fascistic is to use the word ‘man’ for human!

Video/computer/internet games, magazines and TV movies use patterns such as the cruel man who shoots them all, or the pretty woman who is having sex with many men etc. In these games players (that may be even children that their family can’t control what they watch) play roles such as ‘terrorist’ etc. These roles may be followed on real life e.g. by taking a gun and ‘shooting them all’ in the school! Of course many killers will show their video manipulating guns on the internet. Other suicide on line!

Children learn violence, abuse and sexism via the above media and especially the TV/ cinema movies, the internet videos and the video/ internet games. People become sexists and violent by watching and/or playing these roles. So today children learn violence and sexism, instead of moral values. They rather learn mortal values! Unfortunately, neither school, nor family can’t control this violation which is not physical but is against the children’s soul. Also some people (especially immigrants and other minorities such as blacks and Latinos) grown up isolated in ghettos (that we call ‘communities’) learn criminal patterns, join early a gang and perpetuate violence.

Unemployment is another major reason of delinquency. But the main reason is the destruction of family and the destroyed relationships between family members (women, but especially children) which are neglected and/or abused. Today family is dysfunctional. But family is society’s cell. So the whole society is dysfunctional.

Consequently, children that were abused and/or neglected join e.g. easier a gang, or follow easier patterns of delinquency (e.g. initially by being petty thefts and later with drug dealing or drug seeking, or prostitution or alcoholism and so on). Furthermore, people learn violence on the early childhood via TV and cinema movies, internet videos and video/ computer games with sexism and violence.

Using a generalization such as that ‘contemporary society increases the norms of delinquency’, without being specific about which are the real reasons of a phenomenon such as delinquency. Using a stereotype such as that ‘more black people are criminals’ is not only racists, but it doesn’t help ransacking the etiology of criminality, but just incriminates a minority.

Minorities generally (even though I should avoid a generalization!) are raised listening everyday generalizations, stereotypes and bias. This make some react and this react may be with illegal ways. This may give the impression that the stereotype, bias or generalization is true; however the pattern of thinking and/or labeling these people with a discriminative way is the reason of their reaction.

In conclusion, people should avoid using the above patterns of labeling people or using notions that include generalizations, bias and stereotypes. Family, school and governments have to protect people. After all, these patterns of thinking or labeling people or situations are not only childish, but show people that do not use properly their brain! Of course brain uses these patterns in order to classify and label things, however when over exaggerated, these patterns may imply a less thinking person, rather impulsive and naive.

Governments should isolate and stop these – destructive for the society – childish patterns of generalizing, stereotyping and using bias, seen very often on the media (TV and cinema movies, TV news, magazines, radio) and on the internet (videos, games, texts) and the video/ computer games. If the system manipulates these patterns (e.g. when USA launches a war with the stereotype of the ‘terrorist Muslims’ and the ‘good Americans’, ‘against evil’), then citizens have to react against this verbal and intellectual violation which usually has economical or other motives.

Governments tend to be the greatest manipulators in order to achieve their interests and their ‘donors’ interests (economical trusts, big companies and industries). Capitalism favors this manipulation. Politicians, indeed, overuse the above patterns and use the media for this purpose. The trick is how wise citizens are to believe what the system serves them via the media by using the above patterns… If they aren’t, then they are consenting to their own exploitation!