Commentary | October 19, 2010

Readers discuss their experiences with stereotypes and snap judgments

Have you had stereotypes applied to you? Do you notice your own snap judgments? Join our reader discussion.

From The November-December 2010 Issue

Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist at Harvard Business School, studies the role of snap judgments and first impressions in our lives—in everything from hiring decisions to genocide. Read about her work in the November-December issue, then join our reader discussion.

Tell us about a stereotype or snap judgment that was applied to you, and the consequences.

Do you try to compensate for your own snap judgments (or will you, after reading this article)? How?

See what other readers are saying, and then join the conversation by leaving your own comment. (This discussion is moderated, so your comment may not appear immediately.)

Published in the November-December 2010 print issue under the headline “Your Take: Stereotypes and Snap Judgments,” in the section.

Related topics

You might also like

A man in a dark suit sits at a table in an elegant room with historical decor.

Making Waves with Philosophy

A conversation with Harvard professor Michael Sandel

A jubilant graduate shouts into a megaphone, surrounded by a cheering crowd.

For Campus Speech, Civility is a Cultural Practice

A former Harvard College dean reviews Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber’s book Terms of Respect.

Skyline view of Harvard University with trees in autumn colors and a river under a cloudy sky.

Your Views on Conservatism on Campus, Doxxing, and More

Readers write in about international students at Harvard, the September-October cover, and changes at the Chan School of Public Health.

Most popular

A speaker gestures while presenting at a podium with Harvard Radcliffe Institute branding.

Ken Burns on America’s Unfinished Revolution

At Radcliffe, the filmmaker joined Harvard historians to discuss what the nation’s founding means today.

A crowd of people shout and march during a nighttime demonstration, while a man and woman in the foreground hold two silver-colored pans above their heads and bang on them with sticks

The Harvard Professor Who Quantified Democracy

Erica Chenoweth’s data shows how—and when—authoritarians fall.

A person examining handwritten notes and papers on a table.

Radcliffe Acquires a Black Feminist’s Archive

An architect of Black women’s studies, Barbara Smith introduced the concepts of “identity politics” and “intersectionality.”

Explore More From Current Issue

A diverse group of individuals standing on stage, wearing matching shirts and smiling.

How a Harvard and Lesley Group Broke Choir Singing Wide Open

Cambridge Common Voices draws on principles of universal design.

Purple violet flower with vibrant petals surrounded by green foliage.

Bees and Flowers Are Falling Out of Sync

Scientists are revisiting an old way of thinking about extinction.

Illustration of a person sitting on a large cresting wave, writing, with a sunset and ocean waves in vibrant colors.

How Stories Help Us Cope with Climate Change

The growing genre of climate fiction offers a way to process reality—and our anxieties.