Racial discrimination is a serious problem, but prejudice isn’t limited to color or culture. People always “judge a book by its cover,” this is a fact of life. If we are honest, we all make visual assessments and prideful assumptions based on personal experiences and preferences all the time.
- We choose our communities, caretakers or political parties according to our beliefs, opinions and needs.
- We use businesses, attend meetings and make friends only if we feel comfortable with those people.
- We decide which checkout line we will use according to our assumption of the cashier’s attitude and aptitude.
It is natural and normal to make decisions based on appearances. In fact, you and I decide if we like or trust a person, place or thing within six seconds. Is this wrong? Maybe, but this tendency to make quick judgments can save us time or keep us from danger.
Sometimes our first impressions are completely off, and we miss out on an opportunity or relationship that we may have enjoyed. Other times our assessments are completely inappropriate and we make harsh judgments based on personal opinions or experiences that have nothing to do with the reality of what–or who–we are criticizing. Continue reading The Best Solution to Discrimination