Are you carrying prejudices?

in #psychology6 years ago (edited)
The most common problems regarding prejudice are those aimed at people with different skin colour and those with different sexual preferences. There are others of course and we will touch on them too in this post. It is easy to say that we are an open-minded person if we accept and respect gays and black people but are we really so open-minded if we still carry on some weird opinions about people who believe in a different God, wear different clothes, listen to different music or live their lives differently?

Are we seeing ourselves as we are or as we would like to be seen?

Before we continue this post here is a little test that will help you determine if you are carrying prejudices without even being aware of them. Answer these questions and count your "yes" ones.

1. Do you think black people are more probable to commit crimes?
2. Are gays unnormal people?
3. Are people who voted for Trump stupid?
4. Do you think people who have many sexual partners immoral?
5. Are people who listen to punk, metal, pop, trance weird?
6. Are Muslims terorists?
7. Are Christians pedofiles?
8. Do you think old people can not use modern technology?
9. Are you better than those who live in a different country?
10. Are vegetarians just bad hunters?
11. Do you think people who eat meat are bad or murderers?
12. Are all people who are rich corrupted?
13. Are poor people incapable or lazy?
14. Do you think conspiracy theorists are stupid?
15. Are people with a lot of tattos vandals or criminals?
16. Do you think women are the weaker sex?
17. Do you think men do not have feelings?
18. Are people who believe there is no man climate change uneducated?
19. Are people who believe there is a man climate change delusional?
20. Is your parenting style better than others?

How many yes answers do you have? This is not one of those tests where you will get graded depending on the level you ended up in. I think you already know how many yes answers I think you should have. That number is technically not even a number, it is nothing, a zero. Keep in mind that I did write "I think you should have" because having a prejudice against people who have prejudice is still a prejudice.

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
Audre Lorde

As long as you are not hurting another human being in any way, you will never be judged by me. Here, you are loved. Here, you are accepted as you are.

Where do prejudices come from?

I never have prejudices against people with prejudices because I have learned where those prejudices come from. That knowledge is experience based so there is a chance I could be wrong but honestly, it is highly improbable.

Unless we are talking about serious mental illness, people do not hate and people do not hurt other people unless they feel threatened in some way. We are often afraid of different things because they are new and unfamiliar and because we think they will have an impact on our lives. Whenever you see a person who is a racist or against LGBT people, you can be sure he or she has some serious problems with his own insecurities. Those people believe they are better and superior because they need to believe it to feel secure.

“Never judge others. You both know good and well how unexpected events can change who a person is. Always keep that in mind. You never know what someone else is experiencing within their own life.”
Colleen Hoover

I know it is hard and I know it is difficult to accept people with prejudices. I am not saying you have to love them (although I urge you to try) but as long as they are not physically expressing those prejudices they do have a right to their opinion. Try to see where that opinion is coming from. Try to talk to that person and educate him or her. There is a way to beat the prejudice...

LOVE and EDUCATION are the biggest enemies of prejudices.

Is there a cure?

Yes, yes there is. I have already stated that the root of prejudice is the fear of unknown and/or different. When a person is exposed to diversity there is no room for discrimination. I have seen people being forced to work or collaborate with gey people for a period of time and then say "Well, they are normal." Of course, they are, now that you have gotten to know them, lol. I have seen people who listen to different music, cheer for different sport clubs, believe in different Gods and being of different nationalities live and laugh together. It is possible.

“Prejudice of any kind implies that you are identified with the thinking mind. It means you don’t see the other human being anymore, but only your own concept of that human being. To reduce the aliveness of another human being to a concept is already a form of violence.”
Eckhart Tolle

You can call me naive and say that I am utopist but I do believe that the World without prejudices and discrimination is possible. We just need to learn more and love more and that is not that hard as you might think. Learning and loving is easy if you want it to be. Do you want it to be? You may even say that I am a dreamer, but that beetle boy with funny glasses said it right a while ago:

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."

John Lennon

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In my opinion prejudice comes in forms. Almost all of it is fear based, and fear is the #1 driver of all evil.

I like how you said 'physically expressing' prejudice. I have a friend I've know for over 50 years who is a roaring bigot. In private, with me, where he knows that won't hit the street. He's a good man in the main, and I've been arguing with his bigotry for a long time. He has actually changed significantly over the course of time. It is possible.

Thanks for a truly well thought and expressed article. I appreciate it.

Yeah, as long as prejudices are only in the mind and not in the actions, they can have them :D

Recognition 1st and only then acceptance. Perhaps we still have a chance to change after that.
No. 10 is epic!!!

I think we do have a chance to change, we are capable of it, just need to try. No. 10 I heard a while ago and had to put it here :D

The thing is that we are blind to our own faults..that to even consider the possibility that we are capable of it is hard. We can be open-minded to almost everything but that.

Prejudice is alive and well unfortunately, I see it every day. I am lucky to not be at the brunt of it, but you hear and see what people do.. In this day and age, you'd think we would get beyond this. Thought provoking post as always @zen-art

Thank you, I am glad you liked it 💚

I agree with you and i do not call you an utupist, i live all my life surrounded by prejudices and i fight them daily, i think we must start to fight them inside our head, all we have prejudices the big first step it's to recognize them ans look from where they born in our mind...

Thank you! Keep on fighting the good fight! 💚

I would be the first person to admit that I have prejudices, even at a subconscious level - yet I did not answer "yes" to any of the questions you posed. The reason is because I studied History at university, and that taught me how to question my sources and not make value judgements AND then I went on to become a journalist, and especially when I worked as a sub-editor, I learned to question my sources even more. I had some very good teachers. I didn't learn those lessons overnight - it's taken a long time, and it's an ongoing process.
In response to your questions, 1. I am black, and I certainly don't have a propensity to crime 2. One of my best friends is gay and a close relative is trans, 3. I think that people who blindly cling to the idea that Obama and Clinton were good presidential material, closing their eyes to the drone strikes and violence of their administration, are probably as stupid or more stupid than those who voted for Trump - though I don't really think any of them were stupid. Maybe misguided, as I was when I cheered for Tony Blair in 1997... etc, etc. It's about critical thinking really.
So howcome I see myself as prejudiced? Because I notice inbuilt reactions that I've probably acquired from early childhood. For example, when I was a child, I visited the Netherlands and met a black girl there. She told me she was from Scheveningham, a Dutch town. But I thought she must be from Africa - even though I used to get annoyed because people thought I must be from Africa, even though I was born in Scotland! After a while I realised that I was falling into that old trap of prejudice (pre-judging). We all succumb to it in some way or other. The most important thing is to recognise it and try to set it loose!

I could not agree with you more. We all carry some prejudice in us but the first step in dealing with them is recognition. Thank you for your lovely and meaningful comment 💚💚💚

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Thank you 💚💚💚

I also believe that we can learn and change! And as you write a lot of prejudice stems from fear of people that in some way are different from us. One of the best ways for us to be less prejudice I think is meeting and talking, and finding similarities between us. I am lucky enough to live in a very diverse city with inhabitants from all over the world. Sometimes it means that I have to think twice and just not assume why a person act in a certain way. But att the bottom line I love this city and its people!

That we can do, learn and change. With knowledge and love there is nothing stopping us 💚

I think we all have prejudices that we carry with us as we grow up and are bombarded by the media and through our own life experiences. What is important is recognizing these prejudices or biases and trying not to let them have an affect on how we act. This is a really interesting topic and one that I enjoy discussing at length, one short form post is not enough.

I think the biggest thing that I try and do personally is remember that we are more similar than we are different. Everyone has a story, a mother and father, the need for love and acceptance, when we can see these things that are more than skin deep, we can become more accepting and learn to live together better than we currently are

We are more similar than we are different, I love how you have put that, and our need for love is something that always brings us together. Thank you for your lovely comment 💚

a really great topic to write about it and i love the questionnaire, photos, and sweet sincerity that is You. :)
happy friday,
eagle

Happy Friday to you too honey 💚

Hope you are doing well, is it safe there in your country now? Can you go out freely and safely?

Blessings

It has been perfectly safe for more than 20 years now hihihi, thank you for your concern honey 💚

I'm so glad to hear that, I have friends all over the world and in many countries they do not feel they can go out of their home. Scary. Just making sure. :)
Hugs

The only reason my answers to every question is NO because in every question you ask about the group of people.

We are individuals and the moment you want to criticize someone by putting him in the group, you give him the good and the bad side of the group, forgetting that he is only an individual.
This is a very big problem because most of the people put others in the groups and then they judge them..

I practice American Football and Jiu-Jitsu, those are two rough sports where you hit people (Am. football), or you try to break their arms, legs or choke them (Jiu-jitsu). So, if you're gonna judge me by that, you will think that I am an aggressive person, but I'm not anything like that, not even close...

So, F*** prejudices, let's get to know each others ;) <3

And that is the whole point, to approach each person as an individual, thank you for your lovely comment 💚
F*** prejudices, SAMO LJUBAV 💚💚💚

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