is it ignorant to look down on others?

Question

i believe that anyone can/would act like anyone else given the right circumstances. furthermore, we are who we are because of our genetics and upbringing.

how then can anyone look down on another person with contempt? to me this shows a massive amount of ignorance.

your thoughts...

Answer 1

Some people deserve contempt. Like if someone kills your dog. If you could, you wouldn't kill your dog, and you probably wouldn't kill someone else's dog, so why should that person kill your dog? How could hating the person that killed your pet show ingnorance if you wouldn't do the same thing? It all depends on if they do something you'd do or not. If you have contempt for another personfor doing what you yourself would do, then that might be ignorant. If you have contempt for somebody that did something you'd never do, you have every right to have contempt towards them.

Answer 2

It is not ignorant to look down on others if you are really tall.

This is what it boils down to, the great equalizers in our life. Do they eat, sleep, defecate, die? Then they are no better than anyone. There are people who through hard work are more accomplished in certain aspects then others but even this has some qualifiers. First of all, no one can be more accomplished than anyone else unless those people want to achieve what the other person has. If your desire is to be a great basketball player then it may be said that Michael Jordan is a better player than you. But if you want to play basketball, the accomplishments of Donald Trump mean nothing to you so even Trump is not qualified to look down on you.

Answer 3

Basically I agree, although I think that most people have been guilty of this transgression at some point. Looking down on others is egotism and it is narrow-minded in the sense of failing to see the special uniqueness and potential in another person. Some people put down others to boost their fragile egos, and some do it out of fear. When we encounter other people, it's important to realize that we're all struggling with something and doing the best that we can with what we have.

Answer 4

People often look down on others because looking down on others gives them an advantage over others.

A good example is the racism that for a long time existed in USA. Whites looked down on blacks. And of course this looking down on blacks enabled the whites to take advantage of blacks economically and politically.

Perhaps the word 'ignorant' doesn't quite describe all the motivations that are behind looking down on others.

Besides 'ignorant, you should also say 'selfish' and 'unethical'.

Answer 5

Genetics and upbrining play a role in our foundation, but only we can define ourselves. We make that choice every day to be that person.

Concerning ignorance in looking down on others, I believe arrogance is more influential with ignorance a close second.

Answer 6

Of course it's ignorance, a lack of understanding. But looking down on a person's situation is willful ignorance. Every person should be capable of understanding that nothing is as it seems, outwardly we're all filthy.

Answer 7

I would call it arrogance, to look down on others. Of course, everyone has their good points where they can look at others that don't measure up to them in some way, but it is a gift to have those good points. We should try to understand and help one another.