Generalising

/ˈdʒɛn(ə)rəˌlaɪzɪŋ/ verb (present participle)

Definition

The act of making a broad statement or rule that applies to many cases based on limited examples or observations.

Etymology

From generalise plus -ing suffix. British spelling variant of 'generalizing,' following the -ise/-ize split that occurred between British and American English conventions.

Kelly Says

When you catch yourself generalising at school—'all Mondays are terrible' or 'nobody likes math'—you're actually using the same cognitive shortcut that helped humans survive by spotting patterns, but without the careful verification that modern thinking requires!

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