Words are big

I've been thinking this week about the things we say and how they influence what we think. And what we think in turn influences what we say. It's kind of a chicken and egg situation; which came first?

It stemmed from a conversation I had with a co-worker. She'd had a big fight with her boyfriend and is mature enough to own her role in the situation, but then she said to me, "really, can we women ever be made happy?" And it was like she had flipped a switch in me and I suddenly got very opinionated and passionate. Because YES. We can be made happy. We ARE happy. We are happy with quite little actually (generally speaking). This stereotype that women are high-maintenance and demanding is very damaging, and the more we make statements like "women can never be made happy" the more we reinforce the stereotypes in our own heads. And that's not helping our cause any.

This extends so far beyond stereotypes about women. The same can be said for the off-handed things we say about men: "Men are jackasses." "All men want is sex." etc. Even common phrases that people use without thinking ("that's retarded," "that's so gay") only serve to reinforce stereotypes (not to mention they are highly offensive). Or what about the ways we pigeon-hole our children with toys that only boys should play with or colours that only girls should wear. And how about the things we attribute to certain religions, painting all followers of that religion with the same (predominantly negative) strokes.

When we use stereotypical language or action, we are contributing to a close-minded society, one that places people into boxes, limits them to certain behaviours and opportunities, and, ultimately, fuels hate and prejudice.

I believe that love and acceptance are born out of open-mindedness. I wholeheartedly believe that the things we say can either reinforce stereotypes, and thus perpetuate a world full of hate and intolerance, or they can present a new way of thinking about something/one that might just lead to a society full of diverse, yet united people.

Think about the things you say. Do you inadvertently reinforce stereotypes with your words? Stop it.

(For the record, I'm guilty of this too. And I too need to stop it.)