Why do people discriminate based upon the way someone looks?

Question

For example, an old man could not be taken seriously because he looks old and scenile, but really he feels and thinks young.

Answer 1

i just discriminate based on smell

Answer 2

Feelings are even less reliable than looks. No matter how the man feels, he actually is old. People discriminate by looks because they can't read minds, and because there is a gigantic amount of information that can be ascertained from a person's appearance. The color scheme they use to dress tells you about their general mood. The quality of their clothing tells you economic status. The smile or frown lines can tell you which probably comes first. The problem isn't that people judge by looks, it's that they don't look closely enough at the right things.

Answer 3

I used to agree with a lot of the responses here. But, now that I’ve some to study cognitive psychology I see this very differently. First, let me divide the phenomenon of prejudice into two categories. One is the initial prejudice, and the second is the response or use of that.

The first is formed by a perception, and in fact is formed by virtue of how the human mind works, and there isn’t anything you can do about it at the time it is formed, you don’t have control over that process. This perception can be prejudicial, which in my opinion is fine. People have come to regard prejudice as being the problem in regards to things like racism, but I think they are employing a post hoc ergo propter hoc logical fallacy. Which translates as: because this happens after something it is caused by this. They think that because someone forms a prejudicial perception and then acts discriminatorily that the perception is the problem, and not the action taken from it. ALL perception is going to prejudicial to a degree, because perception relies in part on what you already know/think/believe. There is no such thing a perception which isn’t subjectively influenced, it is quite literally impossible.

The next part is how you react to that and what you do with it. However, this isn’t an ideal world, and if you have a negative impression of someone or something it is going to negatively impact your interaction with them/it. Even if you are analyzing your perception logically and saying, not I know this isn’t right, that doesn’t mean it changes right away. It takes time and effort, and in fact realigning that base of knowledge you have.

So I don’t think prejudicial or discriminatory perceptions are morally wrong, they are a fact of life. Even if they are factually incorrect. We learned by taking factually incorrect perceptions and changes them to match facts we are aware of. People discriminating is a fact of how the human mind works. The problem is when that person chooses to indulge their misperception because it pleases them. All black are lazy, old people don’t have any useful to say. Logically they know that is wrong, but they still chose the logical fallacy because it pleases their ego to be above or better than someone else.

So there are two parts to your question, and one or all of them may be happening anytime someone is negatively discriminating. One, they may have a false perception about that person, they may not even realize they have it. Two, they know not care and chose to discriminate anyways. Three, they may be in the processes of changing it, and that doesn’t happen over night. Discrimination is a product of human cognition. It is neither right nor wrong, it is simple a process. It can be used to produce good and bad results. Negative discrimination, racism, sexism ageism so forth is ‘caused by’ these initial misperception, but can be propagated by choice by someone who has a low self esteem.

Answer 4

no remember what every person says, you be attentive to intense tipping shoppers get extra useful provider. A wait individual ought to provide every person good provider, yet there is no longer something incorrect with going above and previous for those you be attentive to will tip properly. i'm optimistic all wait artwork rigidity does decide first time shoppers in accordance with many factors, whether they do no longer do it deliberately. to those which will argue that giving 'good provider' is their job, particular, that's. that would not advise they are able to't provide extra useful provider to particular purchasers, as long as they are nonetheless taking amazing care of all of their tables. come across a server you like at each eating place and ask for them once you dine out. i'm sorry experience you're discriminated against. i've got in no way relatively seen youthful asians to be undesirable tippers, yet often, the old and youthful do seem to tip much less.

Answer 5

I think people do discriminate alot because of the way someone looks(and usually its young people who do this,as you get older i think you realise that it really doesnt matter you can be the most phsyically beautiful person in the world but if you never form a personality what are you gonna have when your old,coz looks dont stay forever(hahah beautiful people!!!),I think its because in general people are shallow,and because magazines and media are always telling us that looks are more important than our personalties.
IT REALLY ANNOYS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

i think it mostly has to do with not-knowing, or a form of ignorance. once you get to know the dorky-looking kid you'll find out he's not that dorky and he's probably quite friendly and interesting. once you get to know the special things about a different culture, you won't find it "peculiar" etc. so i agree with the other answers as well, although you can't jsut "blame the parents" everybody is of course responsible for their own action, but yes, parents have the power to influence many behaviors, ways of thinking etc.

tolerance is something that is learned by understanding and getting to know something that at first seems far away from the own point of view.

Answer 7

learned behavior - experience ( you tossed out the word discrimination but it isn't the bad thing you imply - i would help a frail looking old person carry her bags but not the football player - discrimination yes bad no - based on experience and learned behavior as i said )

and my experience tells me that older people should be taken seriously so instead of discrimination perhaps you should consider the callowness of youth as the problem - that being the LACK of experience and learned behavior - lol

Answer 8

Because of the up bringing by the parents we learn at a young age how we are suppose to look at others through the eyes of those we look up to our parents.

Answer 9

Ignorance. Everyone wants to have someone or something that they can associate with. If its not the same as they are then people tend to ridicule or debase things that they don't understand. Like a child in school that doesn't understand his/her schoolwork, they become bored and easily swayed by other activities. Like anything else that doesn't pertain to the subject. Once this happens, ignorance begins. Once ignorance begins it grows and attaches itself to babies that are being born from ignorance. Ignorance begets ignorance. Unless the cycle stops, it will always repeat itself. Not saying that people won't grasp part of the subject, they just won't grab the full extent of the subject. Example, we are led to believe that all black people can dance, and white people have small penises. There are cases where this may be true but it doesn't hold true for all cases. We may only want to learn basic arithmetic but learning trigonometry may prove to be a bit more challenging or boring to some. If you never try to pursue more knowledge of any subject, you will limit your growth. Statistics show that caucasions have the highest amount of people on welfare, but you would never know that because the media is slanted. The people in charge of the media have a view that they want you to see and believe. Hence you can't always believe what you hear or see on tv unfortunately, but many Americans depend on the news to provide accurate depictions of what is going in today's society. To a certain extent its true for what they do show you, but they don't show or tell you everything you need to know. Let me ask you a question, when you were in grammar school, what did they teach you about Indians and African Americans. I ask this question because I wasn't taught anything except that African Americans mostly came from slaves and Indians were wild and without remorse. As far back as I can remember there were no superheroes that were of color except for Luke Cage or Shang Chi and you might be asking yourself who are these people. I am sure though that you have heard of Spiderman and Superman, etc. God blessed us with sight, and unfortunately we take that for granted. He gave us the ability to hunt for food, but yet we use the same weapons and even worse to destroy ourselves . Our blessings become our curse because of stupidity and ignorance. If we never get in contact with who created us we will always be in the dark. I don't know who or what you believe in , but we all came from Adam and Eve. We are all descendants of Adam and Eve. Can you tell me what color Adam and Eve are? Or does it really matter? Yet with all the things that we should be thankful for, we take for granted. Man will eventually destroy himself, and one of the main factors that will play a key part in the destruction is discrimination. I'm sorry to say, some groups are formed to protect various races that some view as reverse discrimination, but if we never had these different groups, the scales would be heavily unbalanced. Actually even with the groups in place the scales are still unbalanced. How many men of color do you see as coaches or owners? Are they less capable? No, so why? We actually need to wake up and accept who we are and come together as a people to support one another regardless of the color of the skin, but that will never happen,because that would make too much sense. Ask yourself another question, how many things have rightfully made sense to you in your lifetime? A man has to die in order for you to be free and how do we honor him/her? Doing drugs,killing each other, robbing, raping, etc. Why do people discriminate, because that's what they were taught. As sure as there is a God, there is an opposition. That's why the world is in the shape that its in. God gave us a decision to make as far as which direction to take, unfortunately, the opposition seems to be winning. Wouldn't you agree?

Answer 10

Because that's the way our social structure works.