Strangers are perceived by type rather than as individuals

Evidence

Between these two factors of nearness and distance, however, a peculiar tension arises, since the consciousness of having only the absolutely general in common has exactly the effect of putting a special emphasis on that which is not common. For a stranger to the country, the city, the race, and so on, what is stressed is again nothing individual, but alien origin, a quality which he has, or could have, in common with many other strangers. For this reason strangers are not really perceived as individuals, but as strangers of a certain type. Their remoteness is no less general than their nearness. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 401

But between nearness and distance, there arises a specific tension when the consciousness that only the quite general is common, stresses that which is not common. In the case of the person who is a stranger to the country, the city, the race, etc., however, this non-common element is once more nothing individual, but merely the strangeness of origin, which is or could be common to many strangers. For this reason, strangers are not really conceived as individuals, but as strangers of a particular type: the element of distance is no less general in regard to them than the element of nearness. — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 9654

Categorization

• XREF: Directly relevant to Linus’ argument: this mechanism explains how the city flâneur’s wandering encounters reduce others to types, underwriting civil inattention in Lofland. — connects to: Stranger objectivity is freedom from perceptual and normative bias — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 395; Shared universal traits make the stranger simultaneously near and far — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 397; Every person is perceived as both unique individual and general type — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 174 (+20 more)
• DEFINE: Explains the mechanism by which the stranger becomes a category rather than a person — oddness and alien origin are themselves general qualities.
• SHARE: For anyone interested in sociology of identity/othering: Simmel’s point that the stranger’s distance is also generalized, hence typed, is a precise and reusable analytic.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 401; Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 9654

Broader Connections

• Every person is perceived as both unique individual and general type #qualifies (0.70) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 174
• Urban life is possible because strangers remain categorically identifiable #expands (0.60)