This is a spinoff from the SS thread...

It got me to thinking about stereotypes, and how as NLPers or in gereral we can influence "stereotypes" already in existance more quickly and elegantly than the "naturally" occurring means of slow change over time...

So if there is a minority group with a disadvantageous sterotype (insert your favoriote group of misunderstood souls)... How do you think the stereotype began? How did it gain circulation? How did it come to be accepted as "true"? How can it be changed on both small (individual) or large (general opinion) scales? Do the stereotypes themselves (the assumptions or assertions) re-enforce the the manifestation of the Stereotype in the peope who are typecast? If so, How then to counter act it when it becomes self perpetuating?

Is it possible for a stereotype to exist in face of "all evidence to the contrary"? In other words Can there be smoke without fire? What is the most effective and efficent means for a stereotype to be overthrown from within (by people typecast) and from without (by the observers)?

Are there advantages to certain stereotypes? Would there be times when it was not ecological for someone to feel they fit into the stereotype?

Please contribute your thoughts about stereotyping as a concept and how a NLPer might approach a systemic change... How might you go about freeing your favorite underdogs from their bad rap?

I don't know very muchy about memetics but it would seem to be applicable to the idea of commonly accepted stereotypes? Are there any memetic experts out there who know about creating, influencing etc thought viruses?