Personally, I have never met a Ginger I haven't liked. This could be due to the fact that less than 2% of the world's populations has red hair, so realistically I haven't met that many to dislike.
It could also just be that every redhead is just that awesome, who knows.
Unfortunately for our redheaded friends, they are thought to be more susceptible to mental illness than the rest of us are.
How could a hair color make you more likely to become mentally ill? There is a reason for this that doesn't directly have to do with their hair.
When I was growing up, I clearly remember the "Kick a Ginger Day" at school. This was one day a year that people would literally go around and kick a redhead, and I never actually knew where this cruel tradition came from.
Aside from that, people have always been known to make fun of redheads and pick on them for their hair color, freckles, and pale complexion. I also remember the unfortunate stereotype that "Gingers have no souls."
Like previously stated, redheads are only 2% of the population, a statistic that is constantly decreasing. We know that people like to make fun of people that are different from them, so because of this redheads are more likely to be bullied.
It could just be me, but I clearly remember the redheads in my class getting picked on by bullies constantly.
There was even a study done proving this theory...
A study from University College Cork found that more than 90% of men with red hair had been victimized because of their hair color.
The media backs these stereotypes up a little too much. Almost any redheaded male character in movies is a dorky character that is never the most desired or liked.
To think that people don't find redheads attractive is a strange concept to me, have they forgotten that Prince Harry has red hair?
The amount of bullying redheads face makes them much more vulnerable to mental illness such as anxiety disorders and depression.
Although this isn't only seen in redheads, the longterm impacts of bullying are clear. Compared with children who weren't involved in bullying, victims were twice as likely to experience an anxiety disorder, and three times more likely to have a panic disorder.
Having red hair does not directly make you more likely to have a mental illness, but the effects of bullying from having red hair directly correlates to mental illness.
So, be nice to your neighborhood redhead, and teach your kids to do the same.
Redheads are a rare gem and might even have super powers. They shouldn't be bullied for being amazing.