Stereotypes: A Short Story

Words: 528
Pages: 3

To a young me, the world was black-and-white. The morals are virtuous while the immoral are wicked, with no shade of gray existing. Consequently, the notion that humans can change their nature was preposterous. Living in a society that sorts people into stereotypes only serve to reinforce that idea. One day, though, the action of an individual who should stand for justice forced my eyes opened.

It happened when I was in 5th grade. On my way home one day, I spotted a patrolman pulling a motorbike over. My curiosity stroked, I hid behind the corner, intending listen in to their talk. After two minutes of eavesdropping, I picked up a general idea of their situation. A man went over the speed limit and have it captured by surveillance. Naive as I was, that everything would follow the way my textbook read was a natural thought. Contrary to my belief, however, the violator fumbled around for a bit before mumbling, “I don’t have them.” After he said that, something unexpected happened. The man
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Then something clicked in my head. I have seen conflict between the actions and position of a person. Teachers forcing students to take supplementary classes, office workers accepting bribes, and more. The discrepancy existed before, but I never questioned them. I wondered why, for one must have excellent moral to be in those position. Frustrated with a lack on answer, my mind wandered to criminals, the “heinous people” in society. They are humans too, with thoughts and feelings of their own. Most were ordinary men before something made them commit crimes. It was then I came to a realization. Criminals are not evil; they had one too many rough days and snapped. The important thing, however, was that it proved people can change. The people in prestigious positions, they might have been virtuous once, but they changed, becoming something they are not. Those revelations broke my simple world and forced me to