The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a stereotype as "an often unfair and false belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic." Generalizations are defined as “a statement about a group of people or things based on only a few people or things in that group.” People make generalizations all the time. It seems to come naturally. Very rarely are these generalizations true. While they may apply to some people in a certain group, they rarely apply to an entire group in general. Often generalizations about people from foreign countries or the countries themselves constitute a stereotype. Then, every time you think about life in a certain country, all these stereotypes come to mind. When you think of the Middle East, what comes to mind? Do you know what it's really like? Or are all the facts you “know” simply a jumble of misunderstandings? One of the most common misconceptions about the Middle East is that everyone there is Muslim. Although much of the Middle East is made up of Arab Muslims, other groups are present in the area. People from foreign countries seem to think that Americans have no family values. This is entirely a matter of opinion. But a poll conducted by the Penn Schoen Board found that 68 percent of Americans believe their values ​​have declined since 1940. But that doesn't mean Americans don't have family values. When people think of the Middle East, they usually imagine a place full of inequality and very little justice. This is largely true. There is a lot of inequality in the Middle East and there is no justice for ordinary citizens. The only way for ordinary citizens to get justice is to “know the right people”. People from foreign countries seem to…middle of paper…think that all Americans are rich and that this misconception goes both ways. Not everyone in the Middle East is rich. At least 20% of the population lives in conditions of crippling poverty. And staying on topic, not all Americans are rich. While most Americans enjoy a higher standard of living, this perception does not take into account the many socioeconomic levels in which Americans live. Because we, as humans, fear what we don't understand, we find a way to classify behavior so we can better understand the world around us. That said, stereotypes will not disappear as long as diversity between races and cultures exists. Therefore, we must learn to understand ourselves better and understand which stereotypes are far from the truth, which might only apply to a few, and which are statistically true, but actually depend on one's own personal opinions and decisions..