The Scarring Effect of Stereotyping

We all live in an enormous world filled with diversity. We are human but diversity is what separates us. I truly believe that because we have so many differences in this world, it has become a natural habit to label and classify certain individuals into categories. This is what's known today as Stereotyping.
It’s a sizzling hot day and you decide to go inside and grab a cold drink and watch some television. You hit the power button and find a football game on. The clashing of helmet to helmet, lightning speed, miraculous plays that you thought were never possible are all catching your eye. “How is this Possible?” may be a question that you ask yourself. I know of, and have heard many individuals state that the “stuff” they see on television is not natural. They say athletes who are increasingly improving their performance must be taking steroids or some kind of enhancement that doesn’t give the athlete credit for their hard work. This is a major pigeonhole that occurs in the world of sports.
In my years of high school football, I was able to perform with and against great athletes. One of the greats I played with was my own quarterback. He was phenomenal on the field and had every great feature of the game. We were both fortunate to become all-state performers at our position. There was a big controversy stating that he might have been using illegal substances; when in reality he was the last person on earth who would even consider taking them. It became clear that he was never involved with the crime and he deservingly received the award. That controversy has scarred him ever since and has even frustrated his friends and families. In return, it's negatively affected his overall play. That is why I am a strong believer that people just need to know and understand that greatness can be inherited from hard work. Not everyone who succeeds in their field of choice got there by cheating. Don’t attack too quickly, because immense scars can be left. I know there are many today who have fallen captive to illegal substance abuse, but more important than questioning someones integrity is looking for the good the individual has accomplished. Too many people are looking for the negative these days and its becoming a cancer to society. I know the world will be in good hands when I see the majority of people recognizing the greatness within each individual.