All thought requires forcing new experiences into preexisting categories

Evidence

One of Allport’s most provocative and inspiring ideas was that stereotyping is grounded in a basic, unavoidable, categorization process. People are not capable of thought in the absence of concepts. New experiences remain meaningless unless they are incorporated into preexisting categories. Open-mindedness, Allport noted, “is considered to be a virtue. But strictly speaking, it cannot occur. A new experience must be redacted into old categories” (1954/1979, p. 20). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1151 (#expands, via linked claim)

One of Allport’s most provocative and inspiring ideas was that stereotyping is grounded in a basic, unavoidable, categorization process. People are not capable of thought in the absence of concepts. New experiences remain meaningless unless they are incorporated into preexisting categories. Open-mindedness, Allport noted, “is considered to be a virtue. But strictly speaking, it cannot occur. A new experience must be redacted into old categories” (1954/1979, p. 20). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1151 (#expands, via linked claim)

One of Allport’s most provocative and inspiring ideas was that stereotyping is grounded in a basic, unavoidable, categorization process. People are not capable of thought in the absence of concepts. New experiences remain meaningless unless they are incorporated into preexisting categories. Open-mindedness, Allport noted, “is considered to be a virtue. But strictly speaking, it cannot occur. A new experience must be redacted into old categories” (1954/1979, p. 20). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1151 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Open-mindedness is impossible because thought requires preexisting categories; Categorical thinking makes prejudgment unavoidable and even functional.; Human thought fundamentally requires categorizing new experiences into old concepts. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 1151 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Human thought fundamentally requires categorizing new experiences into old concepts. #expands (1.00) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1151
• Humans cannot think without categorizing; even open-mindedness requires old categories. #expands (0.96) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1151
• Categorization is an unavoidable prerequisite for all human thought #expands (0.95) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1151
• Creative thought requires an initial silence that clears prior mental assumptions #complicates (0.78) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 453