There are thousands or even tens of thousands of stereotypes in this world. Going by profession: Lawyers are greedy. Accountants have no sense of humor. Salespeople are dishonest. And so on.

When someone chooses to attack the stereotype, though, and acts in a way that we didn't expect, it causes us to open our eyes and take notice. Stereotypes aren't just a mechanism present in the morally bankrupt; they're a faculty of the human brain that's designed to help us quickly reach conclusions. In a world in which we're bombarded with more information than we can process cognitively, they're a helpful shortcut.

The problem is that until we see something that challenges the stereotype, we're not likely to question it. And the stronger the stereotype, the more likely we are to ignore the evidence that counters it.

People around you expect certain things from you. They expect you to say certain things, act a certain way, respond to things the way they've come to expect. Doing something unexpected, though, forces them to challenge their preconceptions.

Go do something different.