Being able to express ourselves in new and creative ways is a special privilege we have, and people are always coming up with more, whether that comes in the form of a new hairstyle or clothing style, the variety is astounding. I personally love to experiment with my hair. I love to try different colors and cuts, and some of my friends don't like the fact that I color my hair – red, blue, and purple. For those at Hillsdale College, you know that many people on campus stick to traditional cuts and their standard hair color. Many of you look fantastic with that style, and I applaud that you can pull it off so well. But what happens when the mold is broken? Outside of the mold resides stigma, mark and avoid. Those that don't follow the traditional mold are enclosed within an even harsher one, at least inside the minds of others.
If everyone was to simply follow the norm then there would be no need for such prejudice. Or would it? Subjecting yourself to such a judgmental stance makes discussion with or understanding of the individual impossible. I am not saying that having such a thought would make you physically unable to talk with the individual, but that if you were to talk with them everything would be scrutinized in ways one would not if they feel into the appropriate mold. Maybe the person who decided to be so controversial was asking for it? They just want attention, right?
Personally, I know that I do weird things like dying my hair because I think it looks cool, just like a woman would wear a certain dress to a prom or when a man would wear a certain suit. I am not sure exactly why hair coloring receives the criticism it does. All I can gather is that it is not the normal color, or maybe because it is flashy?
Stigma is an easy way to deal with outliers. If the majority wants to make the minority feel like trash, ashamed or guilty, all they have to do is treat them accordingly, just mindlessly avoid them, purposefully avoid them, or treat them as unimportant. Stigma acts as a catalyst to fuel the shame of the different. What is gained from such blind actions? Nothing, but that is not the goal. The goal is to keep the normal sacred and free from the impurities.
Stigma affects many more areas than physical appearances, such as hobby choices, past times, and beliefs, but the point is that stigma taints the ability for parties, on either side, to communicate or interact. People judge other people all the time both consciously and unconsciously, but the standards at which those are done should be carefully selected so as not to fuel a blind hate of those that did nothing but happily express a preference they posses.
