Tuesday; July 7
As a whole, do you think
people are prejudiced? As an individual,
are you prejudiced?
Growing up when and where
I did, it is kind of tough for me to even type these words. As I was being raised, the discussion of
prejudice and bigotry were so emotionally charged that your moral make-up was
tied to the way you perceived life. Now,
lets go back and see if we can break this down a bit (and hopefully make it
sting a lit less). So, when we separate
the word into two concepts: “pre”
involves making decisions before having the facts and “judging” means applying
an emotional component to what we see.
In other words, prejudice is making up our minds before we have accurate
information. Now, let’s go back to that
original question, do we practice prejudice?
I think that if most of us were genuinely honest, we would have to admit
that we make quick decisions about things and people before we investigate
them. Whether generated by genetics or
environment, it is human nature to be biased.
Now, here is where we need to stop and ask the next question – what do
we do with our thoughts? It is one thing
to think something, it is something altogether different to act without
filtering our actions through a spirit of love and goodness. Personal opinions may get the thoughts
flowing, but self-control is what governs our overt actions. If we can teach our minds to be more
objective, that’s wonderful; but even if our preconceived thoughts pop up, when
we make the choice to act properly, we are moving in the proper direction.
Are you struggling with
prejudice and bias? Don’t give up – and,
for sure, don’t give in to acting on those negative stereotypes. Hopefully, the more we learn about others,
the better we think of them; but, until that happens, by applying love and
emotional discipline, we’ll keep growing into the people we have been called to
be.
Think About It!