Have always thought of myself as non biased up until today ... I have always looked at other religious views and religion ( including athiest (mmm don't like it ... but you are a religion by definition ... you don't believe in anything therefore you believe in yourself or sience .... which mmm ain't a bad thing) ... but what I'm asking is do you tend to just assume that someone answering your question is from outside or inside your group of norms? I've seen it a lot here, and I've caught myself doing it ... I'm from the US, and have talked with people from all over the world because of this, forum ... and for once I don't feel alone ... but have found myself just thinking that someone was from my area just because of the way they talk ...truthfully ... I don't have a question anymore ... just answered it .... so answer away ... ---- Wally
2006-09-01 15:07:45 · 4 answers · asked by Zenas Walter 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
Yes, I think, you are correct. I too feel great after joining this Yahoo forum, of Q & A, with a feeling that I have become a member of a world community transcending the geograpical, cultural, and socio-political divisions, which are in most cases arbitrary, if not unnatural.
However, it is also equally true that we all have our own biases, or you may call preferences, which, in most cases, are not innate (ie. we are not born with them) , but are learned by us from our parents, relatives, neighbourhoods,educcational institutions etc (or what you may call society ), which, at times , become blinkers and make us believe that what we are aquainted with or what we are famialr with are the only ways of seeing the world or doing things. And, therefore, when we come acorss some thing which is different we find it hard to believ or accept it. This is what the Sociologists and the Anthropologists call ethno-centrism, which gives birt to many biases or prejudices and become, at times, the root of social conflicts. To overcome this a wider and extensive exposure to a world beyond us is absolutelynecessary to convince us that it is natural to be different, but that does not mean that what is different is necessarily superior or inferior or absolutely right or wrong. This is an enlighenment wchich we aquire by such exposures. .
2006-09-01 15:38:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
We are biased towards self preservation and our view of self is often so narrow that we reject differences that are minimal or don't even exist. As you said, you have no question really, just some insight. It may be a small world but the horizon is an incredibly long way off.
2006-09-01 15:16:04 · answer #2 · answered by St N 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think, throughout your post, I understood your idea. And I agree. as open-minded as one can be about other cultures/religions/point of views, we, as human beings, tend to befriend people who ressemble us, in some way.
2006-09-01 15:15:38 · answer #3 · answered by nellierslmm 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Whether we act on it or not is a different story. Hopefully you realize your biases and act accordingly.
2006-09-01 15:16:08 · answer #4 · answered by BrianR 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋