Walter Lippmann argues that stereotyping is necessary and not inherently harmful. He claims that we rely on stereotypes to efficiently process new information by drawing on previous knowledge and making generalizations. This time-saving process allows us to navigate the world without exhausting ourselves. Stereotypes also provide individual and social stability by giving us a sense of structure and understanding. However, stereotypes can be dangerous when used ignorantly or inflexibly without questioning assumptions and cultural biases. Lippmann concludes that the key is not to abandon stereotyping altogether, but rather to approach it with curiosity, open-mindedness and a willingness to modify stereotypes in light of new evidence.

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Melanie Lech
Lechmc@appstate.edu
COM1200: 102
Dr. Jeff Motter
10 June 2015
Assigned Reading: Lippmann, Walter. Chapters Six and Seven: “Public Opinion.”
Don’t Stop Stereotyping
In chapters six and seven of his 1965 work, Public Opinion, Walter Lippmann
explores the origins and importance of stereotypes. He claims that we “define before we
see,” saying that we don’t “see” things at first; we recognize them and fill in the rest based
on previous knowledge (59). Due in part to cultural insensitivity, corruption of authority
figures, and race/gender issues, stereotyping has a pretty bad connotation in this day and
age. However, in these chapters, Lippmann argues that stereotypes are necessary
and only harmful if misused.
Stereotypes were born in part because of their economic value. This is not, of
course, in terms of money or finances, but in regards to time conservation. Lippmann
explains how relying on previous information saves us from exhausting ourselves mentally
trying to accommodate to new information all the time (59). By making subconscious
generalizations, we are able to flit from one sight to the next without many hiccups. He
even goes so far as to say that this economization is so crucial that “the abandonment of all
stereotypes for a wholly innocent approach to experience would impoverish human life”
(60). The simple fact, according to Lippmann, is that stereotyping saves us essential time.
The benefits of stereotyping extend beyond time management, however. Lippmann
claims that they offer a means of individual and societal stability. He best explains this
when he muses that the act of stereotyping is “the core of our personal tradition” and “the

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defenses of our position in society” (63). Making generalizations, according to Lippmann,
provides us with a sense of structure and understanding about the way the world works
around us. For example, a tribe in the forest may assume that hunters are strong. This
“rule” allows current, fit hunters to feel secure in their positions while simultaneously
offering the tribespeople something constant. In an unreliable world, constancy and
stability give us comfort. Thus, stereotyping shapes our world into something that feels not
only more reliable, but more comfortable.
It is only when we abuse or remain ignorant about our stereotyping that it
becomes dangerous. Lippmann argues that problems arise in “the character of the
stereotypes, and the gullibility with which we employ them” (60). To make a
generalization is not harmful if one is self-aware of its function as a generalization and its
fallibility, as well as their cultural and social biases. When armed with the ability to
question ones assumptions, an individual can combat the harmful impacts of negative
stereotyping while not foregoing the benefits of making generalizations entirely. It is also
important to stay flexible. When presented with contrary evidence, Lippmann discusses
two routes of conduct: ignoring it and modifying the stereotype (66). He continues to say
that as long as one remains “curious and open-minded,” modification always follows, and
thus stereotyping virtually avoids many of the problems it is associated with today (66).
One can assume that we are meant to take his findings as a call to change how we
stereotype, rather than trying to stop doing it altogether. By the close of chapter seven,
Lippmann provides a convincing argument that stereotypes were born of necessity
and are not intrinsically harmful.

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Bibliography
Lippmann, Walter. Public Opinion. New York: Free, 1965. Print.