Expressions Of Individuality And Intelligence

Out of all the people in a society, which ones are most likely to challenge stereotypes?  In many cases, it is either the people who suffer under them or the people who are more intelligent than the general populace who are most likely to do so.  It should come as no surprise that intelligence is linked with an emphasis on individuality.

People who possess high intelligence are far less likely to care about upholding social norms, and will thus be more likely to express their individuality even if it means they will disrupt the status quo.  After all, it takes a very short amount of time to reason out that popular ideas have no authority granted to them by their popularity.  When someone realizes the hollowness of societal forces, as well as the pathetic nature of living to please others, there is no longer a reason to suppress individuality except in cases of manipulation.

Some might still act in accordance with stereotypes for several reasons: perhaps they do not want to be branded abnormal, or perhaps acting in accordance with stereotypes makes it easier for them to get what they want from other people.  Manipulation through the exercise of intelligence can pose its own rewards, after all, whether those rewards take the form of social power or merely the private satisfaction that comes from knowing one is intellectually superior to others and is using their own delusions to influence them.  However, rational people who care about treating others justly will fight stereotypes, even if they must resort to more subtle methods in a given situation.

Stereotypes are a despicable plague that rots a culture's collective intellect and commitment to justice in interpersonal relationships.  The only reason that they exist is because many people tend towards unintelligence and think that they can have access to arbitrary shortcuts to knowledge of others, as if it is possible to know someone in advance of actually knowing them.  It is far easier for the average person to accept a society's constructs and narratives than to deconstruct its fallacies.

It is a sign of high intelligence to recognize the injustice and irrationality of stereotypes.  Whether they have suffered because of stereotypes or only observe their stupidity, intelligent people can take pride in knowing that they understand what the average do not.  Nevertheless, knowledge can bring with it great frustrations, since a person with knowledge is aware that many do not have it.