The pleasent alternative is the archetype. The brianchild of psychiatrist Carl Jung, and archetype is an acknowledgement that certain types of personalities exist, but that these divisions are not defining of actions or appearance. Each one represents a myriad array of possible individualistic expressions, and is contained, according to Jung, in a collective consciousness, imbued in humanity.

What this means, is that an archtype is a more generalized stereotype, based on actually observed truths, and is the measure of a personality, not of superficial qualities. Any number of different people can fit under different stereotypes, but be a consignenment of only one arhcetype, and in the end, that makes it a more openminded, realistic label.