Stereotyping is the result of habitual patterns of categorizing people based on superficial features such as race, gender, or cultural background. The Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination provide a framework for understanding the interdependent nature of stereotyping and its perpetuation through the conditioning of our thoughts and perceptions.

Ignorance (avijja), the first of the Twelve Nidanas, arises when we lack understanding of the true nature of reality and the complexity and diversity of human experience. This ignorance can lead to simplified and biased views of people who are different from us.

Mental formations (sankhara) arise due to ignorance and shape the way we perceive and categorize people. These habitual patterns of thought can lead to biased generalizations about entire groups of people, perpetuating stereotypes.

Our consciousness (viññana) is conditioned by our mental formations, making us prone to stereotyping. The interdependent nature of the Twelve Nidanas means that our mental formations shape our consciousness, which reinforces our bias towards stereotyping.

Name and form (nama-rupa) refer to the physical and mental aspects of a person, and in the context of stereotyping, they can trigger our mental formations and lead to biased views of individuals.

The six sense bases (salayatana) are the doors through which experiences enter and influence the mind. Stereotyping can take hold when we see or hear something that reinforces our mental formations, allowing our stereotypes to take hold.

Contact (phassa) between the person and the object of their perception can trigger stereotyping through a triggering of their preconceptions.

Feeling (vedana) refers to the emotional tone that arises from the contact between the person and the object of their perception. For stereotyping, the person may experience a familiar or comfortable feeling when their stereotype is confirmed, or a negative or hostile feeling when their stereotype is contradicted.

Clinging (upadana) leads to confirmation bias, where we seek and interpret information that confirms our beliefs and ignore or reject information that contradicts them. This attachment to our stereotypes intensifies and perpetuates the cycle of stereotyping.

Becoming (bhava) refers to the karmic process of becoming that results from clinging to a particular view or belief. In stereotyping, the attachment to our stereotypes reinforces our mental formations and karmic tendencies, perpetuating the cycle of conditioning.

Birth (jati) refers to the manifestation of our identity and experience in a particular existence. In stereotyping, mental formations and attachments can manifest as biased beliefs, speech, and actions, reinforcing the cycle of conditioning and perpetuating karmic consequences.

Finally, old age and death (jara-marana) refer to the suffering that arises from the perpetuation of bias and prejudice. Unaddressed biases and attachment to stereotypes can lead to physical, mental, and emotional suffering for oneself and others, and perpetuate negative consequences in future situations or even future lives.

To break the cycle of stereotyping, we need to focus on each stage of the Twelve Nidanas. We can seek education and exposure to diverse experiences to counter ignorance, recognize and challenge habitual patterns of thought, and develop mindfulness practices that help to increase awareness of our senses, emotions, and mental formations.

We can become more discerning about our desires and attachments and challenge our preconceptions through reflection and mindfulness practices. We can cultivate empathy and understanding of diverse experiences, challenge biased beliefs and actions, and work towards promoting greater inclusion and compassion.