"She was at least as smart as I am"

!!!

"Stereotypes? Pah!"

Here's a good reason to stick with stereotypes in certain instances. Let's say I am making a story about a bomber in WW2 that gets off course and gets lost over the atlantic.

Let's say I decided to cast a 12 year old girl in the secondary role of the plane's gunner without explanation and solely on the grounds that a 21 year old white male was too pass Her age and gender had nothing to do with the story and were totally fabricated on my part for the sake of "diversity" and a desire to thumb my nose at a perceived "age discrimination".

Everyone who read the story would find their attention riveted on this out of place character and not the actual "plot" of the story. The story would unaviodably become one about a 12 year old, female WW2 gunner.

Stereotypes are useful and have a role to play in all forms of communications. Of course they can become tired with overuse, but to consciously avoid them all together is to create an unnecessary obstacle for yourself in communicating with your culture.