We had climbed all the way up from the valley so it was an obvious question. Those outsize folk must have been thirty or forty years younger than we are, but there was no way they had arrived via the same climb. Yes there was a nearby car park. Only roadside parking but it had to be there. We glanced at the parked cars then strode on towards the downhill and often muddy section of our walk.
Stereotypes fall into place so easily and so often they are far from inaccurate. It is remarkable how much stereotyped contempt ordinary voters put up with from the media and ruling classes and the evidence of our own eyes tells us where some of it probably comes from.
Stereotypes reflect what we see around us because that’s where their value lies - and they do have value. Hence it is easy to see where the politics of contempt originates. Take the people we see in any town centre or shopping centre. Would we trust all the adults we see with important political decisions? The establishment doesn’t and unfortunately it is not difficult to see why.
5 comments:
Nobody has been able to explain to me how a stereotype is different from a conclusion based on inductive reasoning from experience. Apart, of course, from it being a conclusion that someone doesn't like.
Our political elite don't trust ordinary people, but then again would you trust our elite? The masses are bemired in ignorance and prejudice, but democracy allows them to derail the confident psychopaths from time to time.
Eventually one uses previous performance or track record in assessing whether to trust the judgement of others.
So far the elite have a track record of being wrong about most things.
Random chance would give them a better strike rate.
A betting man would conclude he has more chance of a win if he acts 180 degrees contrary to whatever BBC / elite opinion is on a matter.
"outsize people"
"Rubenesque" as someone wrote? Land whales?
Sam - I agree, that what stereotypes are. People don't appear to trust our elites but don't vote for radical change either, unless we count Brexit.
Nessimmersion - choosing MPs at random could give us a better strike rate too. We could begin with the House of Lords and see how it goes.
James - I like 'land whales' for the extremes and we see a few of those.
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