Walking around campus, what do you see? You have the athletic, buff jocks showing off their bulging biceps and the nerds on their laptops getting a head start on their newly assigned research project. There are the preppy rich kids showing off their designer merchandise, skateboarders practicing their new tricks and many other groups. Human nature compels us to label various bodies, to form (often over-exaggerated) generalizations to distinguish a group. This is commonly known as stereotyping. It seems that all we hear about stereotypes is that they lead to prejudgments and prejudices and prevent us from getting to know people as individuals, but could there be any good in it? As long as we understand that there are truths and exceptions to every case so stereotyping doesn’t lead to misinterpretation, it can actually prove useful. Stereotyping can come in great handy when dealing with large groups of people and may prevent faux pas. It may also help you to meet new people- knowing what stereotype you fall under may help you to meet people with similar interests. To contravene this, someone can always use stereotypes in a condescending manner. Stereotypes themselves are not inherently bad; it is how they are used. Like Robert Morgan once said, “I encourage students to pursue an idea far enough so they can see what the clichés and stereotypes are. Only then do they begin to hit pay dirt.” Stereotyping is a good start to learning more about ourselves and others.