What's wrong with "prejudice"?

Question

NOUN: 1a. An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts. b. A preconceived preference or idea.

When I approach a large rotweiler unknown to me who is unchained, do I have the right to be scared?
When I see group of mangy teenager with their pants hanging halfway down their a**es, oversize coats, and staring at me like I have horns growing out the top of my head and they don't like it, do I have the right to not like them?

Some people diserved to be prejudged because their behavior, past and present, has been disigned to make you prejudge.

Humans prejudge as a mechanism to save time and possibly lives. I agree some people are lazy and prejudge based soley on skin color, but I also believe some diserve it and that should be the focus of discussion.

Prejudice, the word, is overused to the point of inflammatory. Without prejudice, there would be far fewer of us.

My point is we should not use "prejudice" as much as we do.

The correct term you all are talking about is "racism", which is completly unacceptable as public policy. The government should of course be banned of practicing racism.

Answer 1

you need to go back and read your definition a.

to judge without knowledge or examination of the facts. You very well could have misread their facial expression, or saw what you wanted to see because you were judging them before knowing them. Maybe they gave you the look because they saw you judging them with your body language.

The only thing you listed was the way they look.

You can't even judge by past experience with the same person because people can change. Especially if their lifestyle and actions are different from the way they were.

I grew up with a prejudice and racist dad. He always came off as he being better than everyone else and it always led to hate.

Answer 2

Why do you approach the Rotweiler? If it is exhibiting aggressive behavior, then there is a reason to be concerned, but not scared. It will not necessarily attack you.

Comparing people to animals, however, shows a judgment formed without knowledge, a preconceived preference. It's just as judging to describe people as "mangy" (another word usually used to describe animals).

If no one is forcing you to be around the teenagers (and, like you, I do see a lot white kids who dress and behave like that), then what does it matter how you feel about them? Don't you have a right to feel about them how you like? Isn't that your freedom?

But do you prevent them from having access to the same rights as others? If so, that would be prejudiced.

As for your 4th paragraph, if there is past behavior by those individual people, then they are not prejudged, they are judged. If one believes that ALL people of a particular type will be the same as a few have been, then that is prejudice without foundation. It is not based on the individual, but on a supposed type.

I also take exception with another idea. Humans prejudge in order to make distinctions between themselves and others -- however to say that "some deserve it" is not to prejudge all... it recognizes that the traits of some are not the traits of all.

Answer 3

Of course what some people consider to be wrong others wouldn't. The meaning of the word "wrong" like the word"good" can change , depending on the context in which it is used. For instance, consider this, Walter shot his mother-in-law at a range of 1000 metres. It was a "good" shot but "wrong" for him to do it. Maybe Walter didn't think it was wrong. There most certainly is a distinct right from wrong rule in almost everything. You open a screw jar by turning the cap in the "right" direction, not by smashing it open with a with a hammer, that would be clearly wrong .A simple definition for "wrong" is normally incorrect or untrue,although when used to describe human or even animal behaviour then the word could be classified as an opinion rather than a fact. The discussion could continue indefinitely but I think it would be "wrong" to do so.

Answer 4

In the cases you cite, as there is at least a popularist history of bad outcomes, being scared or nervous on initial contact would be prudent.

The problem comes when similar opinions are drawn about black people in business suits, people wearing skullcaps, people with dots on their foreheads, etc.

If one chooses to appear as one in a feared group, then that person should expect a certain amount of prejudice and discrimination. However, to form opinions simply based on differences in culture, skin color or religion is another thing altogether. The line between prejudice and prudence is a very thin one...and one that must be navigated carefully.

Answer 5

To "pre-judge," which is the basis of the word, "prejudice" is not necessarily a bad thing. In this, I agree with you. We do it all the time and to our benefit.

If a truck is barreling towards me, do I get out of the way?
If the element is red hot, do I touch it?
If it's snowing outside, do I put on a coat and hat?

We act based on prior knowledge and consequently "pre-judge" the outcome. We could be wrong in a specific instance but due to our prior knowledge, there is a great likelihood that we are correct in our judgment. But, having said this...

Applying prejudice to a group based on the actions of a few, is foolhardy and highly limiting. This has the opposite potential of stagnating our progress and creating an environment of fear. Consequently, balance is necessary as well as a willingness to bend our thinking, whenever we pre-judge anything.

Answer 6

The first sentence in your defintion stated what is "wrong". An adverse judgement or opinion WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OR EXAMINATION OF THE FACTS. Opinions ideally should have a basis. However, whether or not we want to admit it, we are all prejudice in some manner, simply because of our life experiences or what was taught to us in childhood that we have not yet overcome.

Answer 7

Meh... Prejudice has been used to refer to racial prejudice too often. It has developed a negative "vibe" to it because of this.

It is fine to prejudge people by their actions and general appearance (See the guy with red, bulging eyes?) as long as you stay open to the person's actual character.

Answer 8

I think it's quite a difficult question, but i think you just have use common sense, if a bunch of people who look like they're gonna beat you up are walking down the road you cross over for safety, it's not prejudice it's a assessment from the appearance which can help you. but i don't think you should say not trust someone because they're black or something, because thats wrong.

Answer 9

Prejudism basically helps to ensure our survival. It's one thing to have been bitten by a three legged pink thing and the next time you are approached by a three legged pink thing you move away. It's quite another to hear a bunch of empty racist jokes and then start hating black people. Unfortunately both of these phenomena appear to stem from similar brain mechanisms. As humans, we have the capability to reason and be introspective and it is therefore our responsibility to be able to analyze a gut reaction and say "Hey, okay so I have this bias, is it fair?" and then maybe decide NOT to act like a jackass anytime you encounter a black person.

Answer 10

Its just that the word gets used in different ways. Just like the psycological definition of discrimination is to see the difference between two things, while the race relations definition is to act on racial differences in a way that harms a memeber of a minority group. It's mostly semantics.