Did you know 2 equals 1? No? Well were have you been, that’s
common sense.
1 = a number
2 = a number
_________________________
Therefore 2 = 1
A connotation such as this one is what leads to hasty
generalization. It’s where assumptions are made without sufficient evidence,
like having an impression about a large population, based on personal knowledge
of just a few in the population.
Close-minded thinking such as hasty generalization is what
contributed to the controversial topics of Ageism, Sexism and Racism.
“All elderly people are groggy and
bitter. They hate young people, because they are too vulgar and have no
boundaries. ”
Comments like this travel fast and are then repeated to
others, until it’s eventually used towards all elderly people. This one comment
is then led to Ageism…because someone is a part of a particular age group they
are discriminated upon, based off of a generalized assumption.
These same thoughts also led to racism and sexism. “All
Middle Eastern people hate America”, “Women are only nurses, not doctors.” From
one comment that applied to one or two people in particular is now viewed as
something that applies to all women or all Middle Eastern people.
Being a college student I have heard multiple times to be
careful and to stay safe. In return condoms are swayed in front of my face to
remind me of safe sex. Also the talks about “never leave you’re cup lying
around at a party, if you do don’t drink it.” All great advice to keep me from having
unwanted children at a young age and preventing me from ingesting a spiked
drink, but really NOT ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE HAVING SEX OR DOING DRUGS AND
GETTING DRUNK EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT. From a couple experiences that some people
have had and a couple of movies, some people actually believe that college
consists of nothing but marijuana, sex, and vodka… when really I don’t need any
of that stuff to say that I am a college student nor to prove that I do have a
kick-ass time without the booze. So CHILL-OUT with the unnecessary
generalization, something that might represent you’re friend surely does not
represent everyone.
Hasty generalization is a crappy argument that is made
without adequate evidence. It consists of negative connotations that lead to unnecessary
discrimination. So in general if you are going to make hasty comments have
something to back it up with. Or as it is said, if you don’t have anything nice
to say, don’t say it at all.