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We all prejudge. It’s an essential part of living a normal life. You don’t have to touch every hot stove, to see it burns. Touch every fleece jacket, to see know it’s soft. Try every chair, to see if it can be sat on. Ask every person in uniform, to see if she/he works there. We just assume that’s the case.
But where the heck is the line? When should one ignore the lessons learned, and take a chance? and how harshly can we criticize others for drawing the line at “inappropriate” places?
Popular thought states “assumptions make an ass of everyone”. Yet those same people criticize those who fail to acquire certain prejudices.
- One shouldn’t assume males, with baggy pants and a white beater, are bad. BUT if he dogs you, you should have seen it coming “just look at him”.
- One shouldn’t assume a male, with an abusive father, will beat you. BUT if he does, you should have seen it coming “just look at his father”.
- One shouldn’t assume a person, with a history in drugs, will do drugs. BUT if he/she does, you should have seen it coming “just look at that history”.
- One shouldn’t assume a female, with friends who steal, is a thief. BUT if she steals, you should have seen it coming “just look at her friends”.
- One shouldn’t assume females, who wear scanty clothing, are whores. BUT if she sleeps around with your friends, you should have seen it coming “just look at the way she’s dresses”.
And so on…
Is it really rational to trust [X], when all or most [X] you’ve ever known, seen, or heard of was bad? Sure you haven’t met all the [X] on earth. However, it’s been proven that a microcosm mirrors what goes on in it’s macrocosm.
Well, say you overthrow prejudice and believe there are some good [X] out there. What are the odds of you encountering one? Is it intelligent to take a risk with those odds?
Should you refrain from judging a book by its cover? Or is it the book’s responsibility display whats on the inside?
We all know prejudice is stupid. That it is born of ignorance and re-enforced by fear. But are fear and ignorance crimes? Just how can we effectively change people when the real culprit is not some external difference or propaganda.
But rather something naturally embedded in all of us?
Our prejudices are like physical infirmities – we cannot do what they prevent us from doing. -John Lancaster Spalding