[pct-l] ''Hiker Trash'' vs ''Homeless Bum''

[Brett]

As a compromise, how about, "stereotypes are superficial."

Forgetting the PC type of arguments against stereotypes, they're simply 
not a practical way for you to understand me or me to understand you. 
They don't provide insight or meaning at the level of the individual 
person.

Now, stereotypes are certainly hard-wired into us. As a matter of 
survival, we needed to assume that if the one lion attacked our buddy on 
the Serengeti last week, then the lion in the grass now eyeing us might 
do the same to us. Hence, "all lions are bad."

As a matter of self-protection, we reduce the intangible toward the 
concrete, but at the cost of losing the soft edges that define reality. 
It's a high price to pay sometimes.

- blisterfree


kcristler wrote:
> I agree with Bill Maher-" stereotypes are true".
>                 K in C, CA
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Brett" <blisterfree at yahoo.com>
> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 7:25 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] ''Hiker Trash'' vs ''Homeless Bum''
>
>
>> Used to be the way to tell 'em apart was the one group had a monopoly 
>> on dreams and ambition. This may not necessarily hold true anymore.
>>
>> All kidding aside, the more vexing questions, it seems to me, are:
>>
>> 1) With what frequency does hiker trash spiral downward toward the 
>> realm of apathetic bum?
>> 2) And how often does apathetic bum go on to find fulfillment in life 
>> as hiker trash?
>>
>> The old stereotypes are always comfortable, but of course they're 
>> just an illusion.
>>
>> - blisterfree
>>
>>
>>
>>> Say, how  DO YOU  tell  "grubby ''Hiker Trash''  from a scuzzy
>>> ''Homeless Bum???
>>>
>>
>>
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