Because stereotyping sometimes helps a few people on a dimly lit street doesn’t mean that it should be a rule of life. Unfortunately stereotyping is something so ridiculously widespread that people don’t even realize they’re doing it. It’s not so much that the stereotypes in themselves are dumb (they’re just uninformed categorization based on a few cases or myth) it’s the fact that people still use (and rely on) them so much that bothers me.

I am an award winning full time Senior Art Director with 10 years of experience, currently working for a national sports magazine with a Corporate office in Boston and an Advertising section in New York City. You’ll probably find it on a shelf if your in one of the 25 cities where it’s distributed. Hearing that, the stereotype is that I’m a city snob, sitting in a locked office, high above a crowded street while smoking way too much.

But I work from home, in a rural area, where I get to see my wife and kids and even have lunch and dinner at a decent hour. Some days I work in shorts and t-shirt, others in jeans. During down time, I go out and mow my own lawn. So now the stereotype is that I’m some sort of bum, good for nothing.

Note the (frankly) stupid departmentalization of data. I stay at home and wear tee-shirts; what a slouch (as if t-shirts are a sign of sloppiness). I manage staff, participate in voice and video conferences and put out about 25 magazines in a month: cold business professional (as if using long-range communication makes a person cold). I play with my kids between 9 and 5; boo stay-at-home-Dad (as if its bad for a man but okay for a woman). I put out some of the best designs in the field; arrogant and snobby artist (as if it’s better to be a mediocore artist with no clue of where he or she stands). Apparently I’m in a Stereotype-Limbo.

People might ignore the fact that someone like me may have commuted to work for years, and half of that was squandered on public trans. They may be blind to maps not realizing that the country is probably only an hour and a half outside of the city. Some may choose to Ignore every other facet of an individuals life: that nights are spent either designing, meeting clients, shopping, studying the Bible, preparing to preach on a Sunday or spending quality time with the family. But in doing all that they do a huge disservice not only to the groups they’re stereotyping (be it women, parents, business-people, consumers, Christians, preachers, or lovers) but also to the wide-ranging diversity of humanity.

Humans are multifaceted so let’s work to get rid of our antiquated taxidermy of individuals for fear’s sake and come to terms with what makes a person who they are. Heck, I work on a mac but love to build my own pc’s but then go play blues on my guitar. You probably have a few things that make you human too.