Is perception reality? If so, does a person have the right to be prejudiced against somebody else?

Question

We've had a long history of hate in the past and we try to put it behind us. Great. But you see people just looking at you in a way that would be fitted for a foul-smelling dog and you think...would this ever be history? I mean, it's not only the black and white problem, but also the minimization of muslim people and the way they are treated. One--people still criticize them for what happened in nine eleven and also muslim women in England especially suffer prejudice everywhere they go. If one sees a black person on the street at night, people seem to think it is either a gangster or a thief...if they see a muslim...he is a terrorist and a radical. What is with the world? Why do we still consume this horrible feeling of prejudice, pride and arrogance? Why can't we just cohabit together without this problem? It seems it is human nature. But could it ever change? Why do we have misconceptions and how do we get it? Is there a solution?

Answer 1

Reality is reality. Our perception of reality is filtered greatly by our capacity to receive information from our environment, our ability to reason about that information, and any preconceived notions or habits of thinking that predetermine our openess or not to receiving that information. Someone prejudiced against hispanics could be put in a room with a thousand friendly, articulate hispanics and one hispanic jerk. The bigot will not remember the thousand nice people, only the jerk. Why? Because the jerk confirms the preconceived notion that the bigot has about latinos; whereas the thousand friendly people create cognitive dissonance for the bigot's preconception...thus, it's easier to discount those thousand people and forget them than to have to rewrite one's "map of reality." We each live within our own private bubble of perception; this is our map of reality. The facts of reality that agree with our map we absorb readily; data that disagrees with our map of reality we tend to ignore.

The problem with prejudice as a way of understanding the world is that it is highly inaccurate. Prejudice is a generalization about a group or race of people based upon assumptions, experiences, and outright falsehoods. However, irrespective of how the prejudice arose, it is inevitably erroneous to assume that all the people of a given group are the same about anything. This leads to creating a map of reality that inaccurately describes reality, and this kind of error always hurts the person who holds it in the long run.

Yet, does a person have the right to be prejudiced? A person can think whatever they want in the privacy of their own mind. They do NOT, on the other hand, have the right to commit acts of prejudice against others. Hateful acts and hateful speech not only harm others; they harm society in general. They even harm the person who said or did them on some level. At the very least, such things leave them liable for prosecution and imprisonment.

We live in a global society made up of many different cultures, nations, and religions. We need to embrace what is different and to explore other cultures and peoples. This exploration will lead us to discover that, for all our differences, we are all very much the same. In fact, there is only ONE RACE, the HUMAN RACE. Once we realize that, we will all see prejudice for what is: stupidity.

Answer 2

First, let me start by saying that I am NOT a pessimist - nor am I an optimist - I am a realist. I feel that I have a pretty wide base for understanding people and the world since I have been all over this planet and met tons and tons of people.

Perception is 90% of reality.
And yes, everyone has the right to be prejudice - just like everyone has the right to believe in their own religion, or have their own moral structure.

But just because you have the right to these things, does not justify bad behavior towards others. You may have the right to think whatever thoughts you have, and in America you have the right to voice those thoughts - however, you do NOT have the right to push your beliefs on others.

Prejudice, pride and arrogance are all a part of human nature. This is something that is inherent in our diverse world and cannot be avoided. Of course, this is unfortunate - but it is also something that I personally, truly believe will never go away, no matter what we do to rid ourselves of it.

A solution? I'm afraid not. Like world poverty and world hunger, this issue will never be resolved. Not in our lifetimes, not ever. Sad, but I fear it's true.

Wouldn't it be great to look down from heaven someday and see that these world problems had been taken care of and everyone lived in peace and harmony?

Answer 3

I think the simple answer is that human beings are genetically disposed to live in small, self-sufficient communities ("tribes"), and to regard all outsiders as rivals. This tribal mentality is hard to reconcile with the increasingly global community that, like it or not, we're all beginning to live in. But this process of globalization is still in its early stages. In many parts of the world (the United States, for example), racism and other forms of ignorant hatred are on the decline. I think there's reason to hope that over time, people worldwide will become more and more tolerant of each other's differences. We'll never be without prejudice, or without a certain suspicion of those who differ from us. But if we just don't let those feelings lead to murder quite so often, that'll be a pretty good step.

Answer 4

I do believe that perception is truth for individuals.

Perception of these particular stereotypes you're referring to here with blacks and muslims have been perpetuated by the media and the entertainment industry (especially for the blacks) through movies.

The media will promote whatever theory will keep their advertisers happy. They are not about reporting the news in a fair and unbiased manner, but getting more money for their owners through advertising. The more sensational the stories and headlines, the more subscribers or viewers, the more that a customer will advertise with them to get exposure for their business AND the more that business will pay to adverstise.

Unfortunately, the news and movies are the only type of education that many people are exposed to and their influence is far-reaching and insidious.

Answer 5

change perceptions... I think this IS how you do it. On an individual basis, of course with a categorical approach. We don't perceive the world the-way-it-is for ourselves, it's always already contextualized by our parents, teachers, and circumstances... Changing those environmental features will be the greatest way to change how people think, act, and live in their environment..

The alternative is to simply assume there is an objective reality, and only a few have the wherewithal to access it, so there will always be a deluded majority of the population who won't ever understand the "Truth."

Answer 6

An individual's perception, his/her sense impressions, are only subjective reality.
No one has the right to be prejudiced against anyone else. Pre-judging means arriving at an alleged knowledge of another without knowing anything about that individual. It means using stereotypical, illogical assumptions to form an opinion that is them wrongly regarded, by its holder, as fact

Answer 7

perception to most people is their own reality.....

people beleive what they want to believe in....

am i right? like i havent seen a ghost but i believe they exist..

we cannot control the human mind ....its really hard..
do you know this from the novel DEMian by hermn hesse? it goes like this : we have to make our own reality...what we think is right and what we think is beautiful is our own reality.

yes everybody has the right to be prejudiced with someone...we call that personal opinion...we cant stop people from thinking and talking...

but on the ohter hand there is something the world can do to lessen the evils of prejudice...

voice out your ideas in writing or talk to people you know...you know who really cares..

we cannot change the world but at least we can influence one person about this thing --that is already one big giant step in man kind. i hope i was of good help to you...thanks

Answer 8

Perception isn't reality until people make it that. The media helps feed a lot of this hatred and it is a shame. They only ever show the bad things of what any race of people does, never showing the good.

Answer 9

Hi Oreo,
(great nick by the way) Look, many people are prejudiced because of what they have experienced. I know WWII Veterans who fervently hate Japanese people. I know people from California who hate black people. I know others who know every race and love them all.
We are a result of our upbringing and our environment.
Also, just know that some people are stupid and they show that through their fear. Fear of others and fear of themselves. These are things I've experienced.

Me? I have a low tolerance for ignorance -- :)

Answer 10

1st ... YES
2nd ... YES

As far as a solution is concerned ... None!!!! Get over it and live your life. You will NEVER change society. Too many wanna be thugs out there and they feel like "whitey" owes 'em everything. Plus Whitey hates thugs ... is a vicious neverending cycle of hate. Let 'em kill each other ... that's the only solution.