# What stereotypes have you found to not be true? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553 "2026-04-25T19:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/61 "2026-04-28T09:42:22Z")
All tall people are good at basketball. No, some of us are rather clumsy (I think that’s because we have growth spurts growing up). ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/62 "2026-04-28T11:57:07Z")
Hmmm, it seems to be mostly about the discouragement and negative stereotyping about math ability, rather than just expecting girls to be better at verbal so they end up favoring that over math. For one thing, there really isn’t a cognitive “split” between verbal and math thinking intrinsically, despite caricatures of inarticulate math whizzes. Being verbally adept and confident **helps** math understanding and processing, rather than hindering it. Second, AFAICT the boy/girl split in math achievement has been shown to start with formal schooling, rather than appearing in early childhood when girls start being expected to be more verbal/social than boys. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/63 "2026-04-28T11:58:15Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > What a lot of people mean about Southern folks being nice is often that they do their meanness more indirectly. Someone from the northeast may be rude in the “Fuck you” way, while a Southerner may do it in the “bless your heart” way. Lived most of my life (esp the early parts) in the South. I assure you “Southern Hospitality” has nothing to do with hospitality. It’s about control. What your guests eat, how much, where they sit, what will be talked about, and on and on. In my experience, they’re not trying to make you feel “at home” or comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/64 "2026-04-28T13:33:34Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Gay Men are effeminate Yes, I have met gay men who are effeminate, but I have a hetero friend who is effeminate, yet married to a wonderfull woman, and I am (despite my self reported hetero status) often get approached by gay men. As the song goes “I’m not the most masculine man” In my callous youth I used to milk that in a somewhat greedy way, in that I would obtain free drinks by would-be suitors, then depart. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/65 "2026-04-28T15:22:56Z")
FWIW responding to the developmental divvying up hijack in a new thread. > [@Development buckets; gender bias/differences; visuospatial and verbal skills](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/development-buckets-gender-bias-differences-visuospatial-and-verbal-skills/1029623): > > Continuing the discussion from [What stereotypes have you found to not be true?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/58): I was honestly surprised that the basic premise was at all controversial, but it was! To me it is simply that the average child averages out to be average but is rarely average at all things. Of course some kids average out higher than the mean, and some lower. That overall capacity seems to be fairly stable across time (see stability of the crude proxy of IQ, for example); we can teach kids to better reach their p… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/66 "2026-04-28T21:58:13Z")
I just ran across a lollapalooza of a stereotype in a Stephen Hunter novella. “Johnny Tuesday” is an example of his modern hard-boiled fiction. He writes: > [@](#): > > It was February 1945, and in the cities of America, small or large, town, burg, village, or hamlet, everybody smoked. Moreover, everybody wheezed, everybody coughed, everybody picked flecks of tobacoo off their lips and hawked gobs of incandescent goo from lungs into kerchiefs or the streets, burned holes in suits, sweaters, and pants, set wastebaskets and sometimes houses ablaze. Everybody died early. Notice noticed, nobody cared. Even accounting for artistic license, this is a gross exaggeration. In the first Gallup poll to examine the issue in 1944, 41% of adult Americans reported being smokers. Juust a bit less than “everybody”.\* \*that 40%+ figure held pretty steady through 1974, then began dropping off, most recently reported at 11% of adult Americans smoking. \*\*Acceptance of smoking decades ago was of course commonplace even among nonsmokers. Mrs. J. reports that as a schoolchild, her class was encouraged to send gift parcels to veterans at the local V.A. hospital, which were to include a pack of cigarettes. Much later (1980s) I recall making my way through dense clouds of tobacco smoke to locate patients in the V.A. hospital lounge. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/67 "2026-05-04T12:54:52Z")
“Humanities graduates end up working at McDonald’s” hasn’t been true in decades, if it was ever true at all. The vast majority of fast-food service workers have _no_ college degree, in humanities or otherwise. (“Humanities graduates end up working at Starbucks” has a bit more truth behind it, but most of those are temporary jobs en route to more lucrative white-collar employment elsewhere.) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/68 "2026-05-04T13:43:23Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > One that’s completely wrong is the stereotype of people from the Caribbean being laid back and chill. My wife’s family is from the Anglophone Carribean and almost\* every single one of her Caribbean friends and family are all completely driven type-As, with multiple jobs, businesses, and post graduate degrees in progress at the same time, and not chill at all. Heh, I just realized that the show _In Living Color_ exposed this stereotype, with the recurring sketch [“Hey Mon”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6wtj04dJ_g) about the “hardest working West Indian family” who just talked about how many jobs they had. Every time I think of people having multiple jobs I think “Just like a Jamaican…” Yep, even though the intro to the sketch says “West Indian” I assumed it to be about a Jamaican family cuz what did I know. To me they just talked like Jamaicans! Now I know the sketch was talking about every other Caribbean country, and the “lazy rasta” son was acting Jamaican to them. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/69 "2026-05-04T14:06:05Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > show _In Living Color_ exposed this stereotype, with the recurring sketch [“Hey Mon”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6wtj04dJ_g) about the “hardest working West Indian family” My friend made jokes alluding to this sketch (I actually thought it was a SNL sketch) when I was dating my now wife. As with most pre-2000 American pop culture references, it was completely lost on me. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/70 "2026-05-04T14:25:28Z")
I am blindingly white. I have a basket of at least 50 herbs and spices, including half a dozen seasoned salts (Lawry’s is still the best). Whoever thinks I don’t season food is full of 💩 ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/71 "2026-05-04T14:33:09Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > I am blindingly white. Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night? [asking for a friend] ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/72 "2026-05-04T16:48:03Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Yep, even though the intro to the sketch says “West Indian” I assumed it to be about a Jamaican family cuz what did I know. I had a Jamaican co-worker (immigrated, became a U.S. citizen, very right-wing and intensely anti-immigrant 🙂) who 100% embodied that stereotype. Sometimes he was working various side hustles alongside his full-time job and every bit of overtime he could scrape up. But at one point he had two regular, full-time, 40+ hr/week jobs PLUS overtime when he could. He did that for a good few years working two different shifts at his different jobs. Guy was just an absolute animal - hardest working man I’ve ever met. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/73 "2026-05-04T16:51:20Z")
A silly stereotype: people who lift weights are not necessarily dumb jocks. Normal people lift weights. And those who get caught up in the science behind it tend to be pretty smart ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/74 "2026-05-04T19:01:51Z")
Girls mature faster (earlier?) than boys. To my mind at least, the only true answer is “Some do. Some don’t” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/75 "2026-05-06T11:33:09Z")
As if to defy stereotypes, Kendra the Vampire Slayer from Jamaica was extremely _not_ laid-back. All her time and energy were devoted to training. She would not date boys because she was totally focused on the mission. She thought Buffy was a lazy slacker. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/76 "2026-05-06T16:33:47Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > As if to defy stereotypes, Kendra the Vampire Slayer from Jamaica was extremely _not_ laid-back. See also Hermes Conrad from _Futurama_ and Sebastian from _The Little Mermaid_. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/77 "2026-05-08T21:31:19Z")
I’m surprised no ones mentioned the Scots being cheap/frugal/tight-fisted/whatever stereotype? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/78 "2026-05-08T23:14:20Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I had a Jamaican co-worker (immigrated, became a U.S. citizen, very right-wing and intensely anti-immigrant 🙂) who 100% embodied that stereotype. Sometimes he was working various side hustles alongside his full-time job and every bit of overtime he could scrape up. But at one point he had two regular, full-time, 40+ hr/week jobs PLUS overtime when he could. The sketch comedy show _In Living Color_ had asketch about a Jamaican family called “Hey Mon.” The joke was they all had multiple full-time jobs and dad was upset his daughter was dating a lazy American doctor who only had the one job. > [@Moriarty](#): > > A silly stereotype: people who lift weights are not necessarily dumb jocks. Normal people lift weights. And those who get caught up in the science behind it tend to be pretty smart I find this stereotype seems to be applied to anyone athletic. You’ll find some dumb athletes, but overall I don’t think it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2026, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/79 "2026-05-09T10:13:26Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > 17 years in Korea and China have taught me that American kids are not unique and Asian kids, **while better at picking up a second language** , have more behavioral and intellectual similarities than dissimilarities to American kids. My bolding From my experience of teaching English in Japan and Taiwan, primarily to children, I strongly disagree with your statement. It’s simply a matter of how much studying they do. Many Japanese and Taiwanese children (and I presume it’s similar for other East Asian countries), start studying English in kindergarten, although not all kids do that. While some US schools teach foreign languages to younger grades, most don’t start until middle school. Living in Asia for 35 years, most of the stereotypes Westerners have about Asians aren’t universal to all people here and most of the stereotypes Asians have about Americans are also not true for everyone, but this is hardly controversial. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2026, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553/80 "2026-05-09T13:24:25Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Many Japanese and Taiwanese children (and I presume it’s similar for other East Asian countries), start studying English in kindergarten, although not all kids do that. I’m pretty sure that’s not restricted to East Asian countries - I think most other countries start teaching foreign languages at a younger age than the US. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-stereotypes-have-you-found-to-not-be-true/1029553.md?page=5)