Why We Believe What We Believe

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Expand Your Worldview
How has going to college changed your experience with diversity? Are you getting to know people of different races or ethnic groups? Do your classes have both traditional-aged and adult students? Make it a point to seek out people who are different from you and share your personal stories and worldviews.
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Many of our beliefs are the result of our personal experience. Others are a result of a stereotype, a generalization, usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group.

A negative experience with individual members of a particular group may result in stereotyping people in that group. We may acquire stereotypes about people we have never met before or have bought into a stereotype without even thinking about it. Children who grow up in an environment in which dislike and distrust of certain types of people are openly expressed might adopt those very judgments even if they have had no direct interaction with those being judged.

In college, it is likely that you will meet and interact with people who look different from you, think differently, and hold different values. Spending time with people who view the world in a way you may never have considered contributes to your college experience and helps you avoid stereotyping.

YOUR TURN > ON YOUR OWN

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Think back to the earliest messages you received from family members or friends about how you should react to people who are different from you. Which messages still positively or negatively affect your behavior? Which messages have you revised? Jot down some thoughts here. To complete this activity, download a copy here.