ABSTRACT
Inadequately qualified generalizations, or overgeneralizations, are probably the most common and often the most offensive variety of logical fallacy, especially in the forms of stereotyping and prejudice. Prejudice is an extremely touchy subject to discuss today. Many people insist they aren't prejudiced and get indignant at any suggestion that they might be. Even the most virtuous of us, however, are bound to have some prejudices, and the best we can do is acknowledge and do our best to overcome them. In recent years, many claims have been made, mainly by political conservatives, that liberals sincerely attempting to overcome prejudice have sometimes failed to draw the line and have thus produced reverse prejudice or discrimination. Stereotyping can also be a two-edged sword, as when certain people, in stereotyping others unfairly, become a stereotype themselves, an Archie Bunker–like bundle of prejudices. One of the most common and universal forms of prejudice is that toward people in social classes below one's own.
