How can people learn to disregard prejudices based on race, appearance, or social status?

Question

Do you think people make judgments too quickly based on someone’s race, appearance or social status? Is it possible for someone to put aside these snap judgments and be truly without prejudice?

Answer 1

I believe it is possible to over come feelings resentment based on race, appearance or social Status and it is easier than most people believe it is.

It starts by spending the time to learn something about the person's difference and then finding some thing in that difference that delights you.

By learning about the difference, finding some part (even if it is very small) that you appreciate or enjoy you can begin to see the person in a different light .

Over time you will become less likely to lump people into big groups because you will notice that people with differences are different from each other and the former gross generalizations you once though we racial or social will disappear.

Answer 2

This is one of those depends questions.

Usually when someone sets aside race, appearance and social status.. they do it because they want to. If someone does not want to, then they keep one or a combination of the 3. As humans we tend to have to have a 'reason' - few people can just say: I do not like that person. And leave it at that.. there always seems to be a trailing excuse of rationalization.

As the world becomes more and more - everything has to be fair, even - equal.. we lose more and more of our individuality. I am ok not liking someone.. without a reason. While I do answer to a boss, managers, co-workers, friends, family etc. I do not have to justify why I do not like a person. I use this 'answer to' scenario is complete respect.. we all have people we answer to.. even though in most cases it is not required.. but just done as a courtesy.

I do not advocate going around.. saying you are or are not prejudice.. just show it.

I am 100% Korean.. great up in an educated, affluent family and have very few Korean friends. I had many stereotypes or assumptions placed on me throughout the years. and when I was younger - they did hurt more; however at 36.. they are few and far between and are usually generated from jealousy or ignorance.

I do not support most claims that people do not get a break because of their race.. I believe it has to do more with their attitude. If someone is the first to claim racial bias, then they probably are the first to claim it - when they've screwed up and are disciplined. If someone makes a federal case out of the haves and have not, then this person is one of those entitlement freaks and should be ignroed. There are some people that live free & easy with little turmoil.. there are others that never seem to catch a break.. and there are most of us that work hard are lucky sometimes and not so lucky other times... the reality is that many of us live in the US and have a plethora of opportunities.

If the world were equal it would be boring.

People should spend less time individualizing everything i.e. Black History Month.. prayer rooms at airports.. sovereign nations.. How long would White History Month last? Why is it that Catholics cannot pray in school? What if the Irish wanted their own land and the ability to not pay taxes and have casinos?

Most minorities do not want equality, they want a shift in power.. or perceived power.. what happened to: Working Hard & Earning Your Own Place In This World? Is that now politically incorrect?

I wish you well!

Answer 3

No matter what anyone says, people will always be prejudice. Some people can't help being negative and making snap decisions but our society will always have a minority judging people before they actaully know who they are. It's a shame that in the 21st Century we still have racism happening and we should have learnt by now that we are all equal. The same goes for appearance and status. Just because some people have a 'better' appearance than others people think that they can walk all over them and soon they become bitter. If social status is anything to go by, people who have more money or importance seem to have the upper hand since they can use their power to undermind those lower than them. I quite simply think that it's pathetic that the world hasn't done enough about it. I'm not so sure whether we can stop making snap decisions based on first sighting because it's just how our brains work, though i do think that anyone being racist in this day and age has a lot to answer for, there is absolutely no reason why people should belittle others for their skin, looks or even status. A person who owns a company may have a lot of money but they do not necessary have the heart of someone with a more modest life.

Answer 4

I know people make judgments too quickly based on race, appearance, and status. I have felt this personally. I also know that they do this because they are afraid. They are afraid because they are ignorant. I'm sure you've heard the saying, ignorance breeds fear and fear breeds hate. You can't just teach people respect though, sadly it doesn't work that way. They turn on their tv and they see these groups being portrayed in a negative manner, they see this again and again, and this is what they come to see as the majority. Their regular experience, through media, is not a positive one when it comes to minorities and those who are less fortunate. They don't have regular real-life experience with fabulous people who fall into these categories. The fabulous may be the majority, but if it's a race issue it's a minority issue meaning not as many, and if it's a status issue, it's a money issue, which means different lifestyle. The person who is judging is judging what they have never truly known. Or at least not as well as they know the horrible stories from the news.
No, I don't believe it is possible for someone to just put aside their snap judgement, not easily at least. Often, in an adult, the beliefs have become so deep rooted that it is hard to see past them. Upbringing in a family that spoke negatively of compromised people, of minorities, these can not just be forgotten.
I do believe that as people become more aware of the reality of the situation, of the truth behind the surface, this will change. Positive images of these people need to be more available than the negative. Success stories told more than horror stories. Politicians need to be more wary of attacking any group, overseas or not, with their words. People tie associations to racial groups that they believe are of the same nationality as "terrorists", unfairly and unjustly, for one example. Terrible things have been done, but it is not the majority of the minorities who would ever consider doing so. We need to focus on that, and turn away from the blown up freak show. I truly believe the media has a huge role to play here, and it has made progress. I also know that this is a long slow process.

Answer 5

Yes, people do it all the time, especially when they see a person or people quite frequently exhibiting the behavior that they have been stereotyped with. It has pretty much been engrained in not only our society but in the world. In foreign countries they have caste systems, where someone in the lower caste could be severely punished maybe even killed for trying for looking at, let alone attempting to socialize with someone from an upper class. In this country there aren't any punishments as such because it would be illegal, just unspoken rule, looks and actions toward individuals. This dates back 100 of years ago even before slavery that if you didn't live have the same color skin or live in my neighborhood, I don't want anything to do with you. It use to be a white vs. black thing but now other races have the same mentality. Even within races the attitude of I'm better than you exists, upper class only associate with certain middle class families and lower class don't even have a chance. I think that in order to overcome the urge to judge someone requires a person to have an attitude that we are all human, we all make mistakes, that not everyone was raised the way that we were or have had the oppurtunities that we have had. There are the exceptions, who had the right guidance and still choose to act a fool but that is for their own ignorant reasons. You can only truly be without prejudice, I believe, if you have a spiritual relationship with God. When people have God in there heart and I mean truly, they see all people not by the color of there skin, or how much money or things they have but as a child of God, which we all are. None of us is perfect and really has no room to judge anyone else. We tend to jump to conclusions without giving people a fair chance. We are not willing to sit down and converse or associate with people who we feel are beneath us and get to know their story or try to see how we might be able to help them. I find that mostly the wealthy, or those who are doing well are the most guilty. They think because they have things and went to a "good" college, that they are better than a person who has less material wealth and went to a community college; when the education and knowledge you gain is fairly the same they just pay alot more because they have more. So to answer the question it would have to be a personal decision that a person chooses to make that they won't "judge a book by it's cover before they open it up and first examine the content". All the best.

Answer 6

The ability to make snap judgments is a useful survival tool and should not be disregarded. Certainly, I have known people to not make judgments at all.... or should I say, I know people that don’t have any judgment.

The key to avoid bigoted behavior is to recognize what is a preconceived notion and work past it, or look for other cues that indicate that the initial judgment is wrong. Having caution is not a bad thing.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs places love and belonging and esteem (socialization needs) further up on the pyramid than safety and security. Therefore, the person being threatened can only progress up to the next level of the pyramid (social interaction) by ignoring the need for safety or by determining that the situation is safe.

The more frequently new experiences and new people are determined to be safe, the more quickly that someone can make a judgment regarding the safety of a situation and get past the prejudice and move on toward socialization. The more negative interactions or input, the slower the process would be.

Answer 7

Prejudices; Cherokee fought the Creek, Americans resisted
the Italians, the Poles, the Irish and now the Hispanics. Its
one street gang against the other. I preached against bigotry
in the mid 50s, well before Dr. Martin Luther King came
along. It's getting worse not better. As an older white man I'm
prejudged. It is evident in the supper market by the number
of times I get my way blocked by a shopping cart and a big
fat black butt. How long dose it take to LOOK AT A BOTTLE
OF CATCHUP? I will not judge a person based on there
color nor nationality. I may wonder where they stand toward
an older white Southern man. As soon as they start talking,
I'll know how they feel about all white people. Some turn
down an education because they don't want to be like whitey.
Most chop up the English language because they don't want
to sound white. Full twins can be born, one white and one
black. It happened just months ago in Australia. Just proves
the only real deference is in attitude. Sad thing is: I don't
care anymore. I can't see it changing until they are as
simulated as the Cherokee. When one can't tell by looking.
Then we will most likely ware gang colors so we can know
who to hate. The only hope we could have is if we could all
pray together with a broken hart for the unity and brotherly
love every human should have. Can't see that happening .
How do we get an atheist to pray.

Answer 8

If we all can judge People, based on their actions, instead of their race, appearance or social status, then there will be no prejudice judgment. Prejudice should be used as a term, as in a Court of Law, and not used as a discrimination.

Prejudice is a learned trait. Some People are taught prejudice while others are influenced by it, whether it's from Family members, peers or within their own society. It's a hard habit to break amongst those who already posses the negative trait of prejudice. But like all habits, it will take a lot of hard work, self-awareness and self-acknowledgment to know that prejudice not only affects others, it also affects the prejudice Individual. Sad to say, that these Individuals, will not be able to put aside their snap prejudicial judgments.It's a disease that needs to be contained and eradicated from their Individual trait.

Answer 9

The first thing people need to do to learn to disregard prejudices based on race, appearance, or social status is to be vigilant in monitoring their thoughts. Yes, I do think people make judgments too quickly. Yes, it is possible for someone to put aside these snap judgments, but only if they want to.

It takes a conscious decision and consistent effort to retrain the mind to think differently. Prejudice is a result of what we tell ourselves about another person. It really doesn't matter where, how, why, or when these prejudices were learned. They simply need to be recognized and dealt with.

Feelings follow actions. A thought is an action. Prejudice is the feeling. Prejudice gives insecure people a reason to feel superior to someone else. The truth is that no human being is better than another human being. We all bleed when we are cut, we all feel pain, and we all struggle. People need to recognize the foolishness and ignorance of being prejudiced and make an effort to think healthy thoughts, instead of hateful ones.

Prejudice is a mental illness.

Answer 10

The same goes for appearance and status. Just because some people have a 'better' appearance than others people think that they can walk all over them and soon they become bitter. If social status is anything to go by, people who have more money or importance seem to have the upper hand since they can use their power to undermind those lower than them. I quite simply think that it's pathetic that the world hasn't done enough about it. I'm not so sure whether we can stop making snap decisions based on first sighting because it's just how our brains work, though i do think that anyone being racist in this day and age has a lot to answer for, there is absolutely no reason why people should belittle others for their skin, looks or even status. A person who owns a company may have a lot of money but they do not necessary have the heart of someone with a more modest life.

Answer 11

How can people learn to disregard prejudices based on race, appearance, or social status?

Do you think people make judgments too quickly based on someone’s race, appearance or social status? Is it possible for someone to put aside these snap judgments and be truly without prejudice?

Stereotyping is mind's way of cataloging and thus a faster processing of information. With our limited senses we can only see a certain way, and each society is influenced by its culture. Conscious thinking and an open mind will help one to see beyond the immediate obvious. A highly scientific reasoning will also help.

All religions trace their origin to the God but then fight against each other. The desire to dominate is very human, but the very desire which helped a puny animal like the human to dominate the bigger, stronger, faster animals, is now working in a negative way and is pushing one human being to dominate over others. When mind is mastered by desires, this is the common result. It is when the vehicle decides to go its own way without obeying the driver.