Can you unlearn hatred and intolerance?

Question

Very young children are not naturally racist, they are taught to discriminate and pre judge in an unnatural way by those who bring them up. Can this perverse way of thinking be corrected?

outofafrica999: your use of that word says more about you than anything I can say. Africans had a culture and civilisation long before the evil of slavery, was visited upon them.
When someone can only look at you and make a judgement about you without ever bothering to find out anything about you, that is racism, whatever the ethnic origin of the person making such a judgment. Do yourself a favour and learn compassion. Try seeing things from someone else's viewpiont, stop seeing minorities as a threat, and teach yourself to react with less anger. Less anger means more happiness for you, and a better life as you will not be undermined with negative emotions. Racist thought patterns are a bad habit, break them! Learn to be a more tolerent person, you CAN change the way you think.

True Christians are not racist. Acts 10:34-35. Jesus accepted everyone, even those he was supposed, as a Jew, to hate.

Answer 1

I think it very much depends on the individual. There are some people where their hatred is so ingrained that they can never change.

In many, hatred arises from fear or from something they perceive as a threat - remove the threat and/or the fear and the hatred will dissipate.

Others hate what they don't understand - teach them to understand and they cease to hate.

In some, hate gradually lessens with age, as they gain more experience and possibly wisdom. In others hate becomes more entrenched with age, as they become more intollerant and resistant to change.

In some it arises simply from a lack of understanding or education, and correcting the problem is a matter of how willing they are to learn.

So yes - it can be corrected in many cases, but its is a much more complex question that it first appears.

Answer 2

I believe it can.

I have worked with children and I have come to believe that they are what the Human Race should be. We, as adults, corrupt them. But saying that, racism and bigotry is down to ignorance, fear and anger. These can be dealt with if the person is open to change. Must most racist people are so full of hate that I think they enjoy how they feel. If they put as much energy in to bettering their own lives instead of hating and blaming people they don't even know, this world would be a far better place.

Personally, I don't see how anyone can justify being a racist. It is such an insane stance, because we have all been put here on this earth randomly, and for the short time we are here, a lot of people spend it wasting time hating others for no better reason than they are different. But isn't that what the Human Race is all about - variety?

Answer 3

In most parts of the world, people are "ghettoised." You'll find a lots of Brazilians in a Brazilian neighbourhood in London, etc etc. Human beings (all animals?) seem comfortable living with others from the same ethnicity, which brings comfort but is also the basis for ignorance (about others) and thus an easy basis for prejudice.

People who live OUTSIDE a neighbourhood will be SUSCEPTIBLE to believe whatever crazy things are said about Brazilians because ... they never get to know any Brazilian communities intimately.

Forced intermixing (USA-style desegregation, equal-opportunity) only adds resentment to prejudice because people lose some social benefits.

I don't think "correction" of hateful attitudes is possible but mitigation of prejudice is possible, especially by ensuring that the mass media does not entrench negative perceptions of various ethnic groups.

Answer 4

So you are an expert that you are pointing the finger only to those who are bringing the young children. You do not the influences of the everyday life example these children see and hear in the media such as TV,cartoons, radio, game boys, and cds? Don't tell me the medias do not teach hatred and intolerance. Furthermore, do you not also see religion as teaching hatred and intolerance to children, when one religion says that they are the only religion, so do not tolerate any other.

Answer 5

Absolutely, yes. You have to learn yourself, though. From experience, getting to work and socialise with the people you thought you hated. Reality is the greatest teacher ... it's inexorable, like the sea that batters down the cliffs. Once you actually get to know people from different races, nationalities, religions, sexualities, political persuasions ... reality shows you on the evidence of those individuals' personal qualities that what you had always assumed to be true is in fact nothing more than an irrational stereotype based on fear, ignorance and insecurity.

Personal experience.

Answer 6

That's a good question. I think it can, and it does. It's true, children don't pre judge people, I've noticed that myself. The way they are brought up affects their view of other people.

I heard this thing about a member of the KKK who went to jail and this black guy who was in there with him always told him about Islam, but no matter how nice the guy was, he always discriminated against him. But gradually he started to realise how nice this man was, and eventually became a muslim himself. Becoming muslim made him more tolerant to other races, and so this racist behaviour had been unlearnt. So it is a possibility.

Answer 7

Yes, of course! They'll come to an age of wisdom where they will see through tv, peers, other people that there's a different way of thinking, then choose for themselves wether or not they agree or accept how they were raised, influenced or act themselves.
The tv series 24 had an episode where a boy was raised in a terrorist type family. He got to an age/or time of wisdom where he decided he didn't agree with it & wanted out.
Plus, there are plenty of people that have been raised in a certain religion & actually convert to their spouses religion or decide when they get on their own that they want to live differently.... and so on.

Answer 8

Yes

Answer 9

yes! this is possible, it has happened, if u read the early history of Islam, specially soon after conquest of Makkah, and before prophet's death, not only the Arabian people but every one who accepted Isalm, regard less of race/ cast, financial status, colour become equal, caring people who overcome hatred, intolerance, prejudice and become one big nation and every one was treated as equal.

Answer 10

Yes but only with positive experiences of the people they discriminate against.