[edited from original] Our cognitive systems are such that it is difficult for humans to process the Universe in all of its uniqueness. From our human perspective, we experience the world and our brains form patterns that we can compress so that they can fit inside. For some things, this is not usually an issue. Two apples aren't really two apples; their inner configurations are different, they were ripe at different times, they will rot at different times. All the molecules within are not the same. They're different. Yet, our brains only have so much room. We find things in common and put them both in a category. The category is "apple". Now we can have two of something. Two apples, even though they are each unique. For our purposes, they are similar enough. Some marvelous things have come from this human ability: mathematics itself wouldn't be here without our need to categorize the universe to fit into our brains. However, there is a issue. What works well enough for apples, does not work for human beings. Apple norms and human norms are vastly different because we are not apples. We are humans. Pattern formation is part of our cognitive process. But it should not be applied with human beings. We are all unique. We are individuals. Social norms have formed over the course of history and continue to form as society has come together over the Internet. But new norms can also be straightjackets for recognition of humans as unique individuals. This cartoon is not an example of "new norm" vs "old norm". It appears like it might be, but it's not. It is stereotypes. Stereotypes are weapons, categorizing people, removing their uniquenesses from them, and casting individuals into a negative light. "You are similar to this pattern that I have formed. Therefore you are that pattern. You are not you. You are this pattern." It goes downhill from there into a very bad place for humans to be treating other humans.