As much as we might try to ignore them and pretend that they don’t exist, stereotypes are for the most part prevalent in every community.

It’s hard to find someone nearby who hasn’t heard about our conventional “Harker” stereotype, and we’ve grown to live with it and learned how to adapt. At least for me, it’s stopped being something that I’m bothered by.

What does upset me is when these melodramatic, unfounded exaggerations stop being something we have to defend our school against and start becoming something we have to defend ourselves against. When the problem moves closer to home and you have to face it everyday, it turns out to be a lot more obnoxious than when you’re backed by the whole student population.

How do you respond when people independently assign you titles that you’re not comfortable with?

These clichéd strata of society (“hipster,” “nerd,” “popular,”) that give people a more comfortable, safe categorization of their peers are constructed in order to further solidify their place in the adolescent caste system of the student body.

For me, my preferences (in music, novels, movies, and more) are subject to criticism and approval at the hands of people who think that they can judge me based on my appearance.

It’s nauseating to hear people’s “YOU LIKE ONE DIRECTION?” almost always followed by this distasteful, offensive glare. The ringing chorus of “You don’t look like the kind of person who would like/do/go to that sort of thing” is so trite now that my response to it sounds rehearsed.

Why should how someone looks have any relevance to what they like? Everyone is so fixated on making unsubstantiated assumptions about people based on what they wear and how they talk that they lose sight of who the person really is.

If somebody does nothing but study all the time, there are no speculations anyone can make that are 100% true. It’s not a fact that they’re not sociable. It’s not a fact that they do well in school. It’s not even a fact that they care a lot about their education.

Now, don’t get me wrong – those are all things that could easily be found out through casual conversation or social interaction. But they’re absolutely not things that anyone should have preconceived notions about, whether positive or negative.

I don’t even bring up One Direction in front of my friends anymore – there’s no point. I’d rather not have to deal with those glaring looks and sardonic comments; the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

The facet of my personality that appreciates them is slowly fading, and I can say with conviction that it’s a direct result of the negative reaction to this mainstream, popular boy band that I’m apparently not supposed to enjoy. Plus, this is just one example from a person who’s trying hard to annul the influence of any familiar stereotypes on her inferences.

Life isn’t English class. There isn’t any symbolism that any one author is trying to convey – everyone is their own person and their individuality is sacred. From this constant judgment and classification of “types of people,” many are being robbed of their identities and what they could have been if they had been left alone to flourish.

If we maybe took the time to stop jumping to conclusions, and allowed people to grow into their own skin without outside influence, everyone might be a little more unique.

This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on Oct. 5, 2012.