--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t…" description: "\"“ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t divide each other into races would be to ignore thousands of years of human history. Not to mention the fact t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg" --- # ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t divide each other… ![“ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t divide each other into races would be to ignore thousands of years of human history. Not to mention the fact that white people drive a car like this: Fig. 3 While black people drive a car like this: Fig. 4 Despite increasing globalization and intermarriage…” quote by C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg) > ““ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t divide each other into races would be to ignore thousands of years of human history. Not to mention the fact that white people drive a car like this: Fig. 3 While black people drive a car like this: Fig. 4 Despite increasing globalization and intermarriage, or “miscegenation,” there are still distinct and important differences between members of the different races. Since the subtlety and scope of those differences are far too complicated to be helpful to us in everyday life, we employ certain heuristics, or “stereotypes,” to better understand and more comfortably interact with those different from ourselves. Like the Maori. Such stereotypes are sometimes controversial, because they can oversimplify the differences between individuals. Every person is different, and it is rare for someone to fit a stereotype perfectly. Except for so-called “walking stereotypes,” like Carson from Queer Eye.2. Others don’t have any of the characteristics ascribed to their race in such stereotypes. It’s an imperfect science at best. For example, just because the Maori are, in general, lazy, selfish, and long-winded, that does not mean that noted Maori opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa is any of those things. In fact, she is only two of them, because she is a soprano, and sopranos tend to be very succinct. Even so, stereotypes can be very useful in our everyday social interactions and decision-making. They are actually a kind of survival instinct—a crude form of received inductive reasoning that can help us make snap judgments in situations where we don’t have all the facts. When entering into a business deal with someone of Roma descent, for instance, I am very careful of my possessions. Knowing the stereotype that gypsies are tramps and thieves,3. I am able to better protect myself when coming into contact with them,”” [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that while racial differences exist historically, stereotypes are oversimplified, often inaccurate shortcuts that can aid quick social judgments but risk misrepresentation and bias. **In simple terms:** Stereotypes simplify complex racial differences for quick judgments, but can be inaccurate and harmful. Key Takeaway Use awareness of stereotypes critically and avoid overreliance. Themes race stereotypes social cognition bias decision making Mood reflective critical cautious Type analytical philosophical ethical When to use this quote - business negotiations - interpersonal interactions - media representation - cross‑cultural communication Key Concepts heuristics inductive reasoning social identity cognitive shortcuts Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance quick social judgments with fairness? - When should we question our own stereotypes? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can reinforce prejudice and lead to unfair treatment if unexamined. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Business Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-deal/) [Day life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-life/) [Different races](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-races/) [Everyday life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-life/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Knowing Stereotype](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-stereotype-3231616/) [Maori Stereotypes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maori-stereotypes-3231615/) [Opera singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera-singer/) [Protect Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-myself/) [Race Stereotypes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-stereotypes-3231614/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Stereotypes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypes/) [Stereotypes Controversial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypes-controversial-3231617/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) ## Related quotes > [“He had no tolerance for acts of betrayal or cruelty and lacked Angelo's taste for the minute details of a business deal. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-carcaterra/he-had-no-tolerance-for-acts-of-betrayal-or-cruelty-and-lacked-angelo/) [Lorenzo Carcaterra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-carcaterra/) > [ I agree that \[marriage\] should be treated like a business deal. But every business deal has to have its own terms and its own… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/i-agree-that-marriage-should-be-treated-like-a-business-deal-but/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [We made a plan at school to meet in her garage and kiss. It was like this little business deal. I kissed her and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-pitt/we-made-a-plan-at-school-to-meet-in-her-garage-and-kiss-it-was-like/) [Brad Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-pitt/) > [Love should be treated like a business deal, but every business deal has its own terms and its own currency. And in love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/love-should-be-treated-like-a-business-deal-but-every-business-deal/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Love is not a business deal where you only give as much as you get, but is a fearless nonjudgmental meeting of one heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/love-is-not-a-business-deal-where-you-only-give-as-much-as-you-get/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Here we come to the central question of this book: What, precisely, does it mean to say that our sense of morality and justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/here-we-come-to-the-central-question-of-this-book-what-precisely-does/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [If you are anxious about a business deal or worried about your job, you are seeing failure as a possibility. And having seen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/if-you-are-anxious-about-a-business-deal-or-worried-about-your-job/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [People who expect to feel guilty tend to be more sympathetic, to put themselves into other people's shoes, to think about the consequences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/people-who-expect-to-feel-guilty-tend-to-be-more-sympathetic-to-put/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [“Jep has turned into an excellent cameraman. He shoots our Duckman videos and does a lot editing. Phil brags about how no one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-robertson/jep-has-turned-into-an-excellent-cameraman-he-shoots-our-duckman/) [Willie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-robertson/) > [It's sad to see when people don't take a stand, just because they might lose followers, or a business deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-mathur/it-s-sad-to-see-when-people-don-t-take-a-stand-just-because-they/) [Arjun Mathur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-mathur/) > [A marriage ends up being a business deal: no matter how long or short it is, somebody owes somebody money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/a-marriage-ends-up-being-a-business-deal-no-matter-how-long-or-short/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [“The documentation of a business deal is where the worlds of business and law most clearly intersect. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-fox/the-documentation-of-a-business-deal-is-where-the-worlds-of-business/) [Charles M. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-fox/) > [But nothing is better than the market, where the customer and the business deal directly with each other, because if you rip people off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/but-nothing-is-better-than-the-market-where-the-customer-and-the/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [“In any interaction, it pleases us to feel that the other side is listening and acknowledging our situation. Whether you are negotiating a business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-voss/in-any-interaction-it-pleases-us-to-feel-that-the-other-side-is/) [Chris Voss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-voss/) > [“Yesterday I gave a brilliant speech to 1 million gnomes, made a $1.23 Billion dollar business deal, took over a major TV Network and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-buckley/yesterday-i-gave-a-brilliant-speech-to-1-million-gnomes-made-a-1-23/) [Jaime Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-buckley/) ## More by C.H. Dalton > [“without reading about white superstar athletes like Derek Jeter, Jason Kidd, and journeyman quarterback”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/without-reading-about-white-superstar-athletes-like-derek-jeter-jason/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“Jews, there are bound to be misconceptions. During the Middle Ages, they were even accused of causing the bubonic plague by poisoning wells in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/jews-there-are-bound-to-be-misconceptions-during-the-middle-ages-they/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“THE CARIBBEAN While they are not as hardworking as many other Hispanics, since they spend”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/the-caribbean-while-they-are-not-as-hardworking-as-many-other/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“epithets, and racial caricatures. Like this one. This one doesn’t even”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/epithets-and-racial-caricatures-like-this-one-this-one-doesn-t-even/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“The similarities between the two groups are undeniable, and it’s not just their reddish-brown skin, coarse black hair, and frequent nudity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/the-similarities-between-the-two-groups-are-undeniable-and-it-s-not/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“Sometimes these non-wealthy non-Northeasterners (“white trash”) manage to stumble out of their shantytowns and trailer parks and Napa Valleys in order to vote, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/sometimes-these-non-wealthy-non-northeasterners-white-trash-manage-to/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“And, despite their racial handicap, many whites have nonetheless excelled at non-motorsports, as well. You can’t open a newspaper these days”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/and-despite-their-racial-handicap-many-whites-have-nonetheless/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) > [“America, and the extent to which racism has been institutionalized or officially sanctioned,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/america-and-the-extent-to-which-racism-has-been-institutionalized-or/) [C.H. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) [Explore all 9 C.H. Dalton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/) ## More Black people quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“In any case, white people, who had robbed black people of their liberty and who profited by this theft every hour that they lived,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/in-any-case-white-people-who-had-robbed-black-people-of-their-liberty/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Black Privilege is a concrete motive that black people benefit from, such as racism but racism on whites. Black people don't know it but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/black-privilege-is-a-concrete-motive-that-black-people-benefit-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Acknowledging that my skin was, in fact, Cocoa as it is, would have destroyed their narrative about who I really was. Therefore they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitta-xinindlu/acknowledging-that-my-skin-was-in-fact-cocoa-as-it-is-would-have/) [Mitta Xinindlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitta-xinindlu/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/what-would-america-be-like-if-we-loved-black-people-as-much-as-we/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [“Any ministry to black people which is not designed to effect their empowerment is designed to perpetuate their enslavement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-ministry-to-black-people-which-is-not-designed-to-effect-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe's technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-nkosi/all-black-people-who-are-even-minimally-conscious-black-people-who/) [Lewis Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-nkosi/) > [Even during my youth, I can recall very few black people living on any kind of public assistance. People were working, doing some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-smith/even-during-my-youth-i-can-recall-very-few-black-people-living-on-any/) [Ed Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-smith/) > [There is no one American beauty or just one beautiful color in the pantheon, especially in regards to black people - there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/there-is-no-one-american-beauty-or-just-one-beautiful-color-in-the/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) > [Saying women aren't funny is now like saying Asians can't drive or saying black people have bad credit. It's just really, like, so obsolete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-cummings/saying-women-aren-t-funny-is-now-like-saying-asians-can-t-drive-or/) [Whitney Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-cummings/) > [It's so Canada. On some level, you laugh, but on another level, it's just depressing. We pride ourselves: We're not like the bad old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-backhouse/it-s-so-canada-on-some-level-you-laugh-but-on-another-level-it-s-just/) [Constance Backhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-backhouse/) [Browse all 1,587 Black people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t divide each other into races would be to ignore thousands of years of human history. Not to mention the fact that white people drive a car like this: Fig. 3 While black people drive a car like this: Fig. 4 Despite increasing globalization and intermarriage, or “miscegenation,” there are still distinct and important differences between members of the different races. Since the subtlety and scope of those differences are far too complicated to be helpful to us in everyday life, we employ certain heuristics, or “stereotypes,” to better understand and more comfortably interact with those different from ourselves. Like the Maori. Such stereotypes are sometimes controversial, because they can oversimplify the differences between individuals. Every person is different, and it is rare for someone to fit a stereotype perfectly. Except for so-called “walking stereotypes,” like Carson from Queer Eye.2. Others don’t have any of the characteristics ascribed to their race in such stereotypes. It’s an imperfect science at best. For example, just because the Maori are, in general, lazy, selfish, and long-winded, that does not mean that noted Maori opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa is any of those things. In fact, she is only two of them, because she is a soprano, and sopranos tend to be very succinct. Even so, stereotypes can be very useful in our everyday social interactions and decision-making. They are actually a kind of survival instinct—a crude form of received inductive reasoning that can help us make snap judgments in situations where we don’t have all the facts. When entering into a business deal with someone of Roma descent, for instance, I am very careful of my possessions. Knowing the stereotype that gypsies are tramps and thieves,3. I am able to better protect myself when coming into contact with them,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.H. Dalton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-divide-each-other-into-races/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-divide-each-other-into-races/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/c-h-dalton-43154_black-people_ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-d_2769601.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“ethnic groups, but to say that we don’t divide each other into races would be to ignore thousands of years…” — C.H. Dalton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "C.H. Dalton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-h-dalton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“ethnic groups, but to say that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-divide-each-other-into-races/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-h-dalton/ethnic-groups-but-to-say-that-we-don-t-divide-each-other-into-races/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```