A sweeping generalization is an overarching or overly broad statement or opinion in which a general idea or rule is applied too widely, without allowing any exceptions to it. Perhaps you have heard the following sweeping generalization: Corporate America is evil. I am here to sweep that generalization into the dustbin with a few examples of noteworthy exceptions.
I will make the disclaimer that there are corporations — Koch Industries is a good example — that truly act in bad faith.
In 2016, ahead of the general election, Rose Marcario, the chief executive of outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia, decided that Patagonia would close all its stores and distribution centers on Election Day to give employees the opportunity to vote. Patagonia’s public relations director J.J. Huggins shared with me that Patagonia wanted to send the message that “Nothing was more important than voting on Election Day.”
