Why is "Generalizing" Wrong?

[GennGreymane]

Everyone generalizes, I am doing it right now. People who don't like to be generalized, generalize themselves. People who generalize, get mad when they are generalized, even though they generalize too.

[Puupi]

It isn't wrong. What makes you think it is?

[GennGreymane]

It isn't wrong. What makes you think it is?

People seem to get upset when you generalize.

[lonely zergling]

Everyone hates generalizing.

[GennGreymane]

Everyone hates generalizing.

this guy gets it.

[May90]

"I've met two Indians, and both of them were jerks. I think, Indians are just jerks."

Because of this.

[zenkai]

I don't think most people are like that but I could just be generalizing...

[aviger]

"I've met two Indians, and both of them were jerks. I think, Indians are just jerks."

Because of this.

But, follow me on this, if you've only met two indians ALL indians you know exist are jerks.
If you met 3 and one was nice, that quote would be wrong.

[pmkaboo]

"I've met two Indians, and both of them were jerks. I think, Indians are just jerks."

Because of this.

do you really? or are you just making up some bullshit story to prove a point?

[Puupi]

"I've met two Indians, and both of them were jerks. I think, Indians are just jerks."

Because of this.

We generalize about everything and it's fine. It's our way of making sense of things - if we didn't generalize, we couldn't have evolved as a species at all. How did we come up with laws of nature, cause-effect etc. without generalizing?

The problem only arises when we generalize about other people. Then people go batshit crazy about it. And it's ridiculously hypocritical.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Generalizing in and of itself is not wrong.

Generalizing negative traits onto a whole entire group of people when any intelligent person would know that individuals are all different makes you an idiot.

[Jademist]

But, follow me on this, if you've only met two indians ALL indians you know exist are jerks.
If you met 3 and one was nice, that quote would be wrong.

But May90's example states that because of X ALL Indians are Y, not just the Indians they know. That's the issue with generalizing people. You just assume that because a handful of people from a group do X everyone from that group are the exact same, because, y'know, screw individuality and what not.

[Jibjub]

Is generalizing always bad?

(3. 2. 1... MIND EXPLOSION)

[Elegiac]

Largely because people choose to generalise based on sample sizes that are not in fact statistically significant.

[Kraenen]

Generalizing in and of itself is not wrong.

Generalizing negative traits onto a whole entire group of people when any intelligent person would know that individuals are all different makes you an idiot.

You don't find it wrong to generalize a positive trait?

If individuals are all different, generalizing in and of itself is in fact wrong.

[Independent voter]

Generalizing is good when everyone in the conversation knows that you are generalizing, it's shorthand so you can talk about a group without talking about each individual in the group.

Generalizing is bad when your audience doesn't know you are generalizing.

[nextormento]

Largely because people choose to generalise based on sample sizes that are not in fact statistically significant.

statistical significance is not a property of sample size.

[Nasukkin]

Generally speaking (hah, get it? No, but really...), generalizations are a good thing for us. Generalization, heuristics, instinct, and basing future decisions on past experiences are a huge part of our evolutionary past and are absolutely 100% vital to our survival as a species.

That said, we now live as a species with a far greater intellect than our ancestors even tens of thousands of years ago. Generalizations are still what drive our day-to-day behavior, but our minds are the cutting edge in our evolution now. It is equally important for us to generalize as it is for us to know when not to generalize.

[Elegiac]

statistical significance is not a property of sample size.

I'm aware, I was poking fun at the fact that people who generalise excessively have little comprehension of statistics.

[ItachiZaku]

"I've met two Indians, and both of them were jerks. I think, Indians are just jerks."

Because of this.

I'm not a jerk

Ok, I kinda am. 3/3 for you and your stupid avatar.