Preconceptions

You're lying if you say you've never had a preconception about anything. The world is made up of preconceptions, depending on which region of the world you're from. Anyone who has not been to Texas and stayed for an extended amount of time has a preconception that we all ride horses, have super strong southern accents, and say "y'all" all the time (the latter being somewhat true with all southern states).  People who have never been to Italy think they all love pizza and spaghetti, and talk in the typical "Italian mobster" accent. In reality, preconceptions can be true, but the majority of them are exaggerated due to exposure of media that heightens the stereotypes. A lot of people have not been to Italy or Texas, so they have no way of knowing whether or not the stereotypes they were presented are credible, therefore they assume the preconceptions are true.