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.
刻板印象是对某一类事物或一群人的普遍看法,例如他们的性格、喜好、外表或能力。
For example: French are fashionable, arrogant, romantic, and have poor hygiene.
例如:法国人时尚、傲慢、浪漫,卫生条件差。
Germans are punctual, hardworking, straightforward, and have no sense of humor.
德国人守时、勤奋、直率,没有幽默感。
Americans are optimistic, loud, materialistic, and lack cultural awareness.
美国人乐观、大声、物质主义,缺乏文化意识。
And Japanese are shy, disciplined, can't drink alcohol, and love anything cute.
日本人害羞、自律、不能喝酒,喜欢任何可爱的东西。
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.