Do Other People Usually Perceive You to be in the Majority or the Minority?

[Sunstone]

This is similar to another thread, but the difference between that thread and this one is that one asks how you perceive yourself, while this one asks how you are perceived by others.

So, to the best of your knowledge, do you think other people most often perceive you to be a member of a minority in your country, or a member of the majority in your country?

 

[savagewind]

Majority. I am uh white. I live in Maine.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm not sure, but I do know that people perceive me as awesome.

 

[Breathe]

Majority. I'm white, from the working class, local accent.


Most people presume you're irreligious here. Reactions upon learning I'm religious have ranged from curiosity, surprise because I'm 'normal', challenging to 'prove', ridicule, to outright aggression.

Most people presume you're a drinker. Reactions upon learning I'm a teetotaller are usually surprise, shock, "...why?", to ridicule or even threats of forcing me to drink.


Generally though there is a big gap between local culture and myself: don't drink, don't smoke, don't do any drugs (besides caffeine, and even then, I usually drink decaf), don't go to nightclubs, not interested in sports, don't use Facebook or Twitter.

 

[fallingblood]

While I am white, I do live in an area where there is a large Native American population, and since my skin is just as dark, I am perceived as being in the minority. When I had long black hair, this was especially true, which just shows the amount of stereotyping that goes on in my area.

I'm also often perceived as being a gay man, as I was the president of a GLBT community center, and had a number of interviews.

 

[Quintessence]

I don't know, but considering most of the ways in which I'm a minority are not overtly apparent, I suspect that others probably perceive me as "majority." Then they learn that I'm just not that into all the things someone my age is "supposed to" be into, and perhaps they learn that I'm a contemporary Pagan, and the "majority" label explodes pretty quickly after that.

 

[Penumbra]

Usually majority I guess. It depends on the context.

-As a not-unusual looking caucasian woman in the United States, I'd be part of the majority in many places.
-Minority views that I hold (such as being irreligious) are not visible on myself and are within my control to reveal or not.
-At my engineering organization, women are in the minority compared to men by a ratio of about 3:1. But I'm in the racial majority at work.
-I'm a racial minority in the town I currently live in and the apartment complex I live in.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

Majority. I'm white, from the working class, local accent.


Most people presume you're irreligious here. Reactions upon learning I'm religious have ranged from curiosity, surprise because I'm 'normal', challenging to 'prove', ridicule, to outright aggression.

Most people presume you're a drinker. Reactions upon learning I'm a teetotaller are usually surprise, shock, "...why?", to ridicule or even threats of forcing me to drink.


Generally though there is a big gap between local culture and myself: don't drink, don't smoke, don't do any drugs (besides caffeine, and even then, I usually drink decaf), don't go to nightclubs, not interested in sports, don't use Facebook or Twitter.

You're a lot like me. People are very shocked when they find out I don't smoke weed also.

 

[Breathe]

You're a lot like me. People are very shocked when they find out I don't smoke weed also.

Do you get the same reactions as I do, those "omg seriously?!" reactions, like you're doing something wrong?

 

[Sunstone]

You're a lot like me. People are very shocked when they find out I don't smoke weed also.

OMG! Seriously?

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

Do you get the same reactions as I do, those "omg seriously?!" reactions, like you're doing something wrong?

Yeah! I've had people not believe me because of my hair.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

OMG! Seriously?

XD yeah!! I'm really "boring"

 

[Breathe]

Yeah! I've had people not believe me because of my hair.

Because of your hair...?

 

[Vinayaka]

People think I'm a normal white middle aged middle class guy until about 5 minutes into a conversation.

You did what?
You're a what?
What kind of name is that? It's a what?
Really? You're kidding, right?
Where's that?
Uhhhh.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

Because of your hair...?

.....yeah I don't brush it so I have dreads
Lol!

 

[Penumbra]

Well now I'm curious to see the hair.

 

[LuisDantas]

People see me as weird, not as a minority.

 

[Sunstone]

People see me as weird, not as a minority.

That's weird.

 

[savagewind]

People see me as weird, not as a minority.

I don't see you as weird. It is my opinion you are one of the most not weird people here. You could be a teacher. Are you?

 

[LuisDantas]

You're too kind. No, I am not formally a teacher, although it seems that I end up seeking that kind of role almost by default.