D&D 5E D&D Races: Evolution, Fantasy Stereotypes & Escapism

[Cadence]

Only "Junk Food" is a stereotype, just as "healthy food" is a stereotype, and you have used both here, showing the usefulness of stereotypes.

If only people would stop putting bad labels and connotations on very useful words that are used every day, just because some bad people use them for bad purpose. "Race" is a perfectly acceptable word, and WotC continues using it, and by the way, in much more of the proper sense (although not yet completely) as it's commonly used, since there are no human races.

In the US, race is still commonly used in its historical social construct sense both in casual discussions and on official government forms (and in discussions on why biological race is bunk). Because of this, the "race of men" Tolkienian sense is often not close to the first thing many people think of when hearing the word.

 

[Lyxen]

And now we're defending stereotypes. Positive stereotypes are damaging too, you know.

No, stereotypes are just tools. Just use tools properly as intended.

 

[ART!]

There is a collective culture around this, and a personal. For example,

I am the exact opposite. I use my fantasy to examine my real life burdens. I double down, I dig in, I escape by going deeper. Perhaps Im unique in this, but I dont think this generalization is as universal as it may appear.

I suspect that the characters I have played in games have always been examinations of myself, to varying degrees. I don't see how they couldn't be, really. They are the very least expressions of myself, and that can't help but lead to at least some self-examination, assuming one has a healthy self-awareness.

But I find my self much more aware of this these days, which I'll chalk up to age-indiced wisdom after four decades of gaming, and it's...really interesting. For instance, I played a character a while back for a long time who was this super-laid-back surfer-dude type character, and I found playing him to be really therepeutic. I have trouble relaxing, and to get into the headspace to play him i had to do little quick mental exercises to relax myself, and to some degree I've incorporated those into my life since then.

 

[Lyxen]

In the US, race is still commonly used in its historical social construct sense both in casual discussions and on official government forms (and in discussions on why biological race is bunk). Because of this, the "race of men" Tolkienian sense is often not close to the first thing many people think of when hearing the word.

There is a race of man, just not races. Also, this is not, unless I'm mistaken, an American forum.

 

[ART!]

No, stereotypes are just tools. Just use tools properly as intended.

To elaborate on my "generalizations vs stereotypes" post upthread (generalization are cognitively necessary, stereotypes less so), the issue with stereotypes is that they are by definition over-generalized beliefs about a group or class of people. Positive stereotypes exist and can be useful quick reference points - similar to generalizations, but positive stereotypes are greatly outnumbered by negative stereotypes, and often go arm-in-arm with prejudices.

As a result, I think it's just best to treat stereotypes as a bad thing.

EDIT: An article on the subject over at Simple Psychology. You can find these definitions in any dictionary, too.

 

[Vaalingrade]

No, stereotypes are just tools. Just use tools properly as intended.

Like one of those phrenology measuring devices.

A tool whose use is based entirely on quack science that harms people for no good reason.

 

[DarkMantle]

Stereotypes are bad. Period.

I totally get what you're saying, but the "bad" label does throw me off, because:

• As per the OP, I think stereotypical thinking is human (just like using binary language like "good" and "bad" is human)
• Acting human is not a license to do whatever you want, but I think it does obligate us to have empathy for human struggles
• I'd feel uncomfortable to publicly denounce that category of suboptimal human behavior as "bad" -- I don't think it serves the greater good for society
• For example, our craving for sugar is evolutionary and human. So if someone is eating too much sugar, and suffers from diabetes, I don't want to say they have "bad" behavior. I'd rather say "unhealthy" or not in line with their health goals
• People who are being stereotyped are themselves capable of thinking in (positive or negative) stereotypes, and without some sort of knowledge that they have malicious intent, I would hesitate to judge it as "bad" from my position
• This is a thread that includes people who want to roleplay in a morally ambiguous world. It is my perspective that players are better equipped to navigate a morally ambiguous world if they have the mindfulness and the moral lexicon to navigate that well.

 

[Umbran]

No, stereotypes are just tools. Just use tools properly as intended.

To use your logic - the fact that people blame the tools is caused by the improper use of the tools. You are addressing a symptom, while seeming to allow the root problem to continue unabated.

Thus, if you really believe this, you should spend less time schooling people that the tools aren't bad, and more time schooling people in proper tool use.

 

[Laurefindel]

I'm starting to think not all here use quite the same definition of "stereotypes", and that we're otherwise pretty much all arguing in the same sense...

 

[Lyxen]

To use your logic - the fact that people blame the tools is caused by the improper use of the tools. You are addressing a symptom, while seeming to allow the root problem to continue unabated.

The only root problem here is people using any tool lying around to convey their messages. In the US (and only there), people are banning the use of perfectly good words because they have been used by bad people (race, exotic, tribe, now stereotype, what's next ?). I'm sorry, but this is just ridiculous, you can't claim that you are addressing the root problem by preventing the use of words, and you can't prevent people from other countries from using perfectly good words in the proper context.

The word stereotype is perfect for describing groups of people, something that you need to do as part of the building of any world for the game.

Thus, if you really believe this, you should spend less time schooling people that the tools aren't bad, and more time schooling people in proper tool use.

Which is what I'm doing here, use the proper tools, properly. Don't use it to create bad (or even good) stereotypes, create stereotypes that don't target real world people and it will be fine.