Wow – it is hard to keep up with blogging sometimes. During this very busy August when my kids are home from University and school – when family and friends are visiting - it is hard to work as efficiently as normal. However on the plus side there is so much happening that makes great material for articles. I now have a wealth of experiences to write about over the coming weeks.
Through the house there has been a constant procession of colourful and interesting friends of my own two teenagers. Without exception I liked them all and they had great social skills and were incredibly interesting to talk to. What struck me was their individuality and their open acceptance of others with different backgrounds and views.
I must admit I would have stereotyped them as ‘typical students’ in the past but I am not so sure what is typical about them now.
A stereotype is of course an oversimplified, general opinion about what something or someone is like. Similar to labour-saving devices, stereotypes are
thought-saving devices, because when you accept a stereotype, you don’t have to think for
yourself at all.
Frozen , prepackaged, ready to use.
But do you realize how dangerous it is to have someone
else do your thinking for you?
The Nazis fed people stereotyped ideas of Jews and
Gypsies to justify murdering them.
Racists will tell you what African Americans are like.
Sexists will tell you what women or gay people are like.
Political parties will expect their members to hold one view on issues, their view.
Does your paper tell you how to vote? Do you respond to adverts on TV and Radio with little thought?
If you want to grow as a person, you must become your own
authority. Look beneath the surface, and beware of labels. A label is a
one-size-fits-all stereotype, but people come in all sizes and styles, all
colors and models.
We must celebrate our differences not ridicule.
If you are male, how do you feel when someone tries to
tell you what “men” are like? Well, it’s no different for any group.
Oversimplification and overgeneralization rob you of your power and others of
their uniqueness. So resist stereotypes wherever you find them. The students I met this summer certainly do.
Technorati Tags: stereotype, students
About Keith Watson
Hi - I am Keith Watson.
This blog is dedicated to Banger - a teacher from my teenage years who - at least once a week - insisted upon cracking the hilarious - and I have to say - never heard before line "What's on Watson?".
I would smile demurely - the rest of the class would fall about with sides aching - and life would go on for another week.
'Wats-on My Mind' I have decided will assist me personally as well as be of interest to others (I hope) who share my challenges. It will help keep me organised and document my activities so that I know what I did yesterday.
You think I am joking!!
I have been in the website development game since 1993 and have been involved with over 2000 website builds (with the help of my fantastic team of freelance programmers)
It was only in the last two years though that I have moved over to making money for myself on line and in particular linking up with an amazing talent called Adam Eason to produce and distribute self help and hypnotherapy products.
As a result of looking to promote these products I have downloaded hundreds of internet marketing articles and e-books, studied countless reports, tested list building tactics, butterflied, boot-camped, buzzed, adsensed, affiliated, met a jerk, jv'ed, plr given-awayed, and generally suffered from information overload.
My computer - presumably in a fit of pique or simply demanding a holiday has given up the ghost on at least two occassions - causing me even more stress.
Oh this simple business of making money online.
BUT the great news is that it is all working and our list has grown - I have found some gurus I have complete faith in - and Adam and I are actually making money from our endeavours.
Some way to go but I am more relaxed and can spot a phoney over hyped, sexed up, must have latest product which you must either buy or if not, simply fade into oblivion. There’s not room on this Internet for the two of us.
This ramble of an introduction is really to set the scene for I am sure an interesting journey which I invite you to join. In fact I want you to help me find the right tools, scripts, plugins etc. etc, that will catapult me into the stratosphere of success. I hope you will be there with me.
I don't just consider success in a monetary sense. I so want to help some friends of mine who are involved in Christian missionary work in some pretty harrowing parts of this world. If I can bring any help to their missions that will give me more satisfaction than anything else.
I really, really do love this web stuff and the people you meet. I am convinced that this powerful technology can be harnessed to do some good.
