How come stereotypes exist? None of the stereotypes are true!?

Wrong. Most stereotypes are based on broad fact, then generalized into a satirical stereotype. Everyone didn't just decide to lie about everyone else one day. ...Also that was more a decleration than a question.

They are easier than getting to know people All are true to an extent. Saying 'no black people play basketball' is just as ignorant as saying 'all black people play basketball'

It's the closed-minded and not very intelligent people who stereotype because they don't have the mental capacity to see things individually so they lump all sorts of people into one group to help them understand things easier. The first guy that posted on this is obviously one of those people that stereotype judging from the thumbing down...

Often, people make assumptions about groups on the basis of characteristics that happen to get their attention. So forex you might not recognize that a straight-acting guy is gay, but you would notice someone who's really effeminate and campy -- so your idea of gay guys will be that they're swishy and you'll think that swishy guys are gay, even though only some gay guys are swishy, and some swishy guys are straight. Or you might see some self-professed emo kid talking about cutting, and that's what sticks in your mind because it's so bizarre. The press contributes to stereotypes by focusing on the sensational -- they might run a story about emo kids cutting themselves because it sells papers, but they aren't likely to write a story about emo kids studying for their SAT's. Anyway, I guess we're all stereotyped at some point or another, forex I had long hair and smoked cigarettes, so everyone assumed I was some kind of rebel druggie hippie, but I was actually pretty serious and straight compared to a lot of the straight-looking kids I knew. Which kind of annoyed me, but that's the way it works.