## The trend of treating one social group as being one singular entity is reductionist and incredibly flawed
![image.png](https://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmSK8N5meWKT8KZTNK4PVrj1EymQGRvLX2hfyR3US6Yg9j)

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There's a disturbing trend going around these days. It's an idea that effortlessly reduces an entire group of people down to some monolithic entity. It is a concept that has gained momentum and is fueled by individuals on both the left and right side of the political aisle.

It's the idea that individuals can be neatly and succinctly defined by their particular group associations, specifically when it comes to race, gender, and sexual orientation. It's not a new idea but it does seem to be spreading. 

You can witness it in the way people talk about one 'group' or another. "The Muslim community is A." "The black community believes B." "Straight white males are C." "Mexican immigrants are D." And so on. 

## Out of convenience, we remove individuality and paint with a broad brush
![image.png](https://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmY2ZNvozLebH2s6Q5wzQpGUVHW9truAmHboeDhemMRs84)

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It's easy to label, categorize, and define our views according to broad definitions of a particular 'group' of people. I use the word 'group' in quotations because it is an inherently flawed idea to be able to define millions upon millions of unique individuals according to a very limited definition.

Our society loves to preach the values of diversity, yet often fails to recognize the incredible diversity present within each category. We cannot say all members of a race, gender, ethnicity, religious group, political party, etc. are one way or another. It's ignorant and blatantly false to suggest as such. 

Are there similarities between people of a similar culture, economic background, race, or any other classification? Absolutely. But are we able to be easily lumped in and talked about as if we are all the same person? Absolutely not.

## Start seeing the individual, not the social classification
![image.png](https://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmZqJ3RCw4vURPeszy3UnbWiPnbds3ZevQE2b2p5aTg1Px)

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I'm of the dreaded 'straight, white male' classification, the social group that is an easy punching bag for the current paradigm of our world. Indeed, I am aware of the many injustices that other individuals of the same classification have committed in the past. I am also aware that the present is not disconnected from the past and that these aspects of our history impact our reality today. 

But, at the end of the day, I am not responsible for the acts of others, even if they have the same societal classification as my self. I do not need to apologize for acts I didn't commit in the same way that every Muslim doesn't need to apologize for the acts of a few psychopaths of a similar classification. 

When groups are viewed as being some kind of singular entity, the immense level of diversity within these groups is overlooked. Though our society would like to squeeze every ounce of individuality out of us in the name of democracy or convenient target marketing, we are still our own person, regardless of what our group affiliation is. 

## Stop painting with a broad brush
![image.png](https://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmdwoZcQcAaQzwV8FaApxHhEzGvztxNhJRZQXiYQm9G8s2)

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Generalizing is convenient. It allows us to simplify complex social realities into neatly-defined categories, reducing the world into black and white thinking, removing almost all shades of gray in the process. When we only see a person's group identity, a degree of their humanity is stripped in the process. 

It also makes it very easy to jump to severe conclusions about a person's character simply because of their given social group. Taken to extreme lengths, violence can be committed against an individual without batting an eye simply because of who they are seen as.

This idea has been around for a very long time. Tribal warfare, racism, sexism, cultural division of all kinds have existed since the dawn of man. Clearly, it's not some new phenomenon that our world is suddenly wrestling with.

Yet, despite all of our increased awareness and sensitivity about such issues, it's an idea that doesn't seem to be going away. With increased divisions in society, it's a concept that seems to be hardening and increasing in intensity. And it needs to be halted before it gets any worse.

Because at the end of the day, we are individuals, not monoliths. 
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*All uncredited pictures from pixabay.com or my personal account*
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