Stereotypes can be playful, but they’re mostly harmful. More often than not, they’re based off of the assumptions of an antiquated era. For many stereotypes, we’ve learned their false origins and know that they have no basis in fact. But countless are still accepted as fact in our world today.
National stereotypes still cloud many people’s perceptions of other countries. Check out the below 10 stereotypes that have been disproven by something so simple – cold, hard numbers.
1. Stereotype: The Irish are drunks.
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In reality, Ireland didn’t even crack the top twenty of a
list of countries that consume the most alcohol.
2. Stereotype: The French are snobbish about food and hate America.
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According to a 2014 Pew research report, there actually aren’t many countries who love America more than the French. What’s more, there’s been a recent up-tick in fast food restaurants. In fact, in 2012, they raked in more revenue than any other type of restaurant in the country.
3. Stereotype: Columbia is know for cocaine and violence.
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Believe it or not, most of the cocaine that hits our streets comes from Peru – Colombia lost the title in 2013. And as for the violence, the South American country has been in the midst of a terrible war for many years, but violence has recently been on the decline.
4. Stereotype: Greeks are lazy, while Germans are super hard-working.
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In reality, Greek people on average clock in about
2,017 work hours per year, while Germany’s average is only about have fewer average total hours per year at 1,408.
5. Stereotype: Africa is a hotbed for ebola.
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This stems from a general misconception of Africa as a whole. Africa is a massive continent. In reality, all of the U.S., China, India, and much of Europe can fit in Africa. To say that ebola affected “Africa,” is similar to saying that a disease affected Asia, when it was really only present in Laos.
6. Stereotype: The Spanish love bull fighting.
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Actually, most polls show that a majority of Spanish citizens are adamantly against what they see as a brutal blood sport. In fact, it was banned in Catalonia, which includes the bustling city of Barcelona, in 2012.
7. Stereotype: The British have bad teeth.
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While they don’t have perfect chompers, this stereotype goes against a report that states that
British teeth are actually some of the best in the world.
8. Stereotype: Australians are racist.
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While there are concentrated instances of racism that blow up in the media, a recent study found that
87% of Australians believe that the country benefits and appreciated the cultural and racial diversity.
9. Stereotype: Venezuela is addicted to plastic surgery.
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In reality, Venezuela
ranks 15th in plastic surgeries, behind countries such as the U.S. and Canada.
10. Stereotype: The Dutch are all stoners.
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The Netherlands actually has one of the
lowest rates of marijuana usage compared with the rest of the world.
(via Listverse)
As you can see, these national stereotypes just don’t match up with reality. It would be best if everyone just let them go. They’re not worth holding on to!
