A stereotype is a common belief about a particular category of things or a group of people, such as their personality, preferences, appearance or ability. For example, French are fashionable, arrogant, romantic and have poor hygiene. Germans are punctual, hardworking, straightforward and have no sense of humour. Germans are optimistic, loud, materialistic and lack cultural awareness. And Japanese are shy, disciplined, can't drink alcohol and love anything cute. Accurator not, stereotypes help our mind to categorise information and make predictions so that we can act fast without thinking. Whether you agree or disagree with any of the clichés we presented about the French, Germans, Americans and Japanese, two types of stereotypes might have clouded your judgement. Explicit stereotypes are preconceptions you were aware of. For instance, you may have heard of the cliché that the French are arrogant. Armed with this self-awareness, you try to interact with each French individual from a seemingly unbiased standpoint. However, you might still be judgmental because of another sort of stereotype. Implicit stereotypes are those that guide your thoughts from your subconscious. The stories about people your parents might have told you when you were too young to remember. Associations that make you judgmental without you even realising it. And that's a problem. If we are part of a group that is the target of stereotypes, they can become a threat. A stereotype threat occurs when people are aware of the negative cliché others hold against their group and then become afraid that they can firm it. As a consequence, their performance often decreases. Say a society holds the belief that boys are better in mathematics. Teachers just need to point out that myth prior to math tests and some girls will get anxious and as a result perform worse than men. Even just sitting next to boys can significantly lower their grades. Chimamanda and Gozi Adici summarise the problem like this. The single story creates stereotypes and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story. So what do you think? Ask some stereotypes still useful in today's diverse world. If yes, why? And if not, how can we get rid of them? Share your thoughts in the comments below and while you're at it, tell us. Ask some of the clichés presented in this video true. If you like this video and want us to make more, subscribe to our channel or supporters on Patreon.