When you sit on a public bus and look around, it's easy to draw conclusions about people. The guy sitting alone with messy hair and clothes is obviously a drunk and wondering around aimlessly. The lady seated in a short dress and heavily made-up is obviously a prostitute. The girl with the baby is definitely a single mother and on welfare. These are the conclusions many people make about others without knowing any facts about that person. We stereotype and generalize everyone else without taking the time to meet people and find out who they really are. We stereotype based on simple observations. We can make a judgment in a minute or two. This is often called the first impression. In reality, this is a judgment with little or no basis. People are stereotyped into one or more categories in various ways. One is based on physical appearance. This can range from the way a person is dressed, their nationality and/or the company they keep. It is very common for people to stereotype young black men. When people see two or three young black men together, it is very common to jump to the conclusion that they are thugs who want to rob people or gang up on others and harm them. People never conclude that they are young men who just left their jobs and are going home together. It is easier to draw negative conclusions. People stereotype others and are stereotyped by others. This is usually without our knowledge. At the beginning of “Black Men and Public Space,” the author begins by calling one of the characters in the story his “victim” (Staple). From the start, we think he's going to hurt this woman in some way. The author...... middle of paper ... judges people by how they look and how they act and react. Stereotypes have always been part of society. We look at people who have had difficulties and draw all sorts of conclusions: they are drug addicts, lazy, or criminals. We pretend to be sympathetic when in reality we are judgmental and unfair. It is easier to judge and then get to know others, it is also safer. Works Cited Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." XJ Kennedy, Dorthy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron. The Bedford Reader. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 367-371. Mernissi, Fatema. “Size 6: The harem of Western women.” XJ Kennedy, Dorthy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron. The Bedford Reader. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 252-259. Staple, Brent. “Black men and the public space”. XJ Kennedy, Dorthy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron. The Bedford Reader. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 208-211.