Geeks, Archetypes and Stereotypes

What exactly is an archetype?? According to “The Geek Leader’s Handbook”, archetypes refer to trends and patterns that are readily observable. And a stereotype is thought that can be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things. When it comes down to talking about archetypes and geeks, are not talking the typical stereotype that some people may say geeks or other things  are. Stereotyping is habit that we all need to get out of, sometimes we tend to stereotype without even knowing it. Stereotyping has become something that we are so use to doing, that when we are faced in a situation in which we may tend to stereotype something or someone, we get shocked when it turns out that our stereotypical thoughts are actually wrong. Some people may not have even heard of the word archetype, me being one, and learning about this word made me stop some of the stereotyping judgements.

When it comes down to stereotypes and archetypes, archetypes are very typical examples of a certain person or thing,  so there is no judgments or things that we may “assume” about something, like a stereotype. I know that for myself I tend to have a very big problem when it comes to stereotyping people. For instance just by seeing a person with a mean looking face, I automatically assume that, that person is mean, rude and just an angry person, but in all that person could have just went through something, or that is just the type of face that they make all the time. Also growing up, I used to stereotype when it came to geeks as well, if I saw someone with big glasses, overalls, and high pants, Steve Urkel resemblance, I just knew for a fact that the person was a geek. Until I realized that a geek can be anyone, I do have the glasses, but not the overalls and high pants but I myself am a geek when it comes to video games and shopping. There are many stereotypes when it comes to geeks, such as having no social skills, which is in fact false, next is geeks are unattractive and unfit. But what some people may not know what exactly a geek is, in our book it describes geeks as an expert or enthusiast in an analytical field such as computers or engineering, but being a geek goes beyond then just technology. You can be a geek with just about anything, regardless of the stereotypes we are focusing on the archetypes. I like how in the books it says that “when we get a glimpse of the inner lives of people who are different from us, we are better able to relate to their hopes, dreams, fears, and dreads and more inclined to make allowances for their differences.” I believe that is true because just knowing that can change your perspective of how you feel or thought about that person, and the stereotypes that you once had in your hand will disappear, you would think “wow” I never knew that about someone or something until you get to know them or at least learn more about what you think you know. A non geek may be more of a geek than they make think, just because they are use to hearing about the stereotypes and not archetypes about what something is. I say that because that is how I was until I took this class, I learned that I am a geek myself, and I was someone who stereotyped “geeks” myself.