--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...stereotypes were self-reinforcing…" description: "\"“...stereotypes were self-reinforcing because unconsciously you were looking for things to confirm them. That was why policemen thought – based on so-c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jo-nesb-2258_quote_stereotypes-were-self-reinforcing-becaus_1073741.jpg" --- # ...stereotypes were self-reinforcing because unconsciously… ![“...stereotypes were self-reinforcing because unconsciously you were looking for things to confirm them. That was why policemen thought – based on so-called experience – that all criminals were stupid, and criminals thought the same about all policemen.” quote by Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jo-nesb-2258_quote_stereotypes-were-self-reinforcing-becaus_1073741.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jo-nesb-2258_quote_stereotypes-were-self-reinforcing-becaus_1073741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5d/jo-nesb-2258_quote_stereotypes-were-self-reinforcing-becaus_1073741.jpg) > ““...stereotypes were self-reinforcing because unconsciously you were looking for things to confirm them. That was why policemen thought – based on so-called experience – that all criminals were stupid, and criminals thought the same about all policemen.”” [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stereotypes reinforce themselves when people seek confirming evidence, leading to mutual mistrust. **In simple terms:** Stereotypes persist through biased perception. Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions actively. Themes bias stereotypes trust perception Mood critical thoughtful Type social psychological When to use this quote - police training - community dialogue - media representation - education programs Key Concepts Cognitive bias social psychology law enforcement Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront your own stereotypes? - What steps can institutions take to reduce bias? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated biases is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Stereotypes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypes/) ## Related quotes > [Having been labelled at school and in the workplace as 'sassy,' 'feisty,' 'aggressive,' 'hard' and 'dramatic,' I started to believe these stereotypes. 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The world seemed replete with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/abdul-hadn-t-previously-thought-of-policemen-as-people-with-hearts/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [Every time you hear anyone talk about the Caribbean, whether it's Caribbeans themselves or people outside, there's always talk about women's bodies. Talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/every-time-you-hear-anyone-talk-about-the-caribbean-whether-it-s/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Stereotypes have their roots in truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-walton-hamilton/stereotypes-have-their-roots-in-truth/) [Emma Walton Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-walton-hamilton/) > [Perhaps some are confused because they have stereotypes of how blacks should be and I respectfully decline, as I did in my youth, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/perhaps-some-are-confused-because-they-have-stereotypes-of-how-blacks/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [“I notice you didn’t include a blade with your new attire,” Royce said. “Not even a little jeweled dagger.” “Lords no.” Albert looked appalled.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-sullivan/i-notice-you-didn-t-include-a-blade-with-your-new-attire-royce-said/) [Michael J. 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I cannot find the records. I never Elisabeth or Iggie. 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So I reckon I'm about sixty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/you-are-as-old-as-you-feel-so-i-reckon-i-m-about-sixty/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) > [“It’s strange, but when your father has gone you suddenly discover that the choices you have made were as much for him as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/it-s-strange-but-when-your-father-has-gone-you-suddenly-discover-that/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) > [“The great thing about facts is that you don't have to ponder whether they're desirable or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/the-great-thing-about-facts-is-that-you-don-t-have-to-ponder-whether/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) > [“He who is destined for the gallows will not drown, as we say in Norwegian,” Harry said. “What?” “I agree.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/he-who-is-destined-for-the-gallows-will-not-drown-as-we-say-in/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) > [“He sensed her aroma and greedily breathed in the fragrance. 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That’s the distance you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/the-social-space-between-people-who-don-t-know-each-other-is-from-one/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) [Explore all 162 Jo Nesbø quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) ## More Stereotypes quotes > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Valéry used to speak of those people who die in an accident because they are unwilling to let go of their umbrellas; how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/val-ry-used-to-speak-of-those-people-who-die-in-an-accident-because/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [When women are provided with training and entrepreneurial opportunities in distribution networks, they become role models in their communities, showing it is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-polman/when-women-are-provided-with-training-and-entrepreneurial/) [Paul Polman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-polman/) > [“I do not know where Viktor and Rudolf were taken. I cannot find the records. I never Elisabeth or Iggie. 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Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-sullivan/) > [Perhaps some are confused because they have stereotypes of how blacks should be and I respectfully decline, as I did in my youth, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/perhaps-some-are-confused-because-they-have-stereotypes-of-how-blacks/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Stereotypes have their roots in truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-walton-hamilton/stereotypes-have-their-roots-in-truth/) [Emma Walton Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-walton-hamilton/) > [Every time you hear anyone talk about the Caribbean, whether it's Caribbeans themselves or people outside, there's always talk about women's bodies. Talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/every-time-you-hear-anyone-talk-about-the-caribbean-whether-it-s/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-i-see-a-black-kid-in-a-hoodie-and-it-s-late-at-night-i-m-walking/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [There are a lot of stereotypes to be broken which I think a lot of us are doing. What I do is, as soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-chen/there-are-a-lot-of-stereotypes-to-be-broken-which-i-think-a-lot-of-us/) [Joan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-chen/) > [“It was the way he wore the place. You expected him any moment to break into the kind of song that has suspicious rhymes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-the-way-he-wore-the-place-you-expected-him-any-moment-to-break/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) [Browse all 555 Stereotypes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...stereotypes were self-reinforcing because unconsciously you were looking for things to confirm them. 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