NOTE: This post was fleshed out for a two-page essay for Contexts magazine.
—————————–
Studies show that people will often act in ways consistent with how they are treated. Therefore, treating someone according to a stereotype will likely produce behavior that confirms the stereotype. This is called a self-fulfilling stereotype.
Consider this guy:
In a Bizarre interview, illustrated by photographer Neville Elder, he was asked about the impact of his tattoos on his life and this is what he said:
Do you think your life would be better or worse if you hadn’t had your tattoos done?
Actually, since having them done I’ve become a much happier and nicer person. Before, I hated pretty much everything and everybody. I just wanted to pass out in the gutter and swear at cars as they went by, shit like that. I wasn’t a happy person at all.
That’s why I got the skull tattooed on my face in the first place, I suppose – I wanted to fucking kill everybody. But then, as time went on, I started getting all this positive feedback – people would come up to me and say how cool they thought it looked. I started getting invited to parties and bars all the time. Strangers ask to have pictures taken with me.
He continues:
I’ve been having so much fun with it that life has definitely changed for the better. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing… not that I have much choice in the matter.
So basically his tattoos were a big fuck you to the world. He “hated pretty much everything and everybody.” But then people started coming up constantly to tell him about how awesome his tattoos were, and could they take a picture with him, and oh did he want to come to their party.
Basically, people started to treat him positively. And now he’s super upbeat! An awesome example of the self-fulfilling stereotype.
