In this article we will talk about what prejudice is. Sometimes, it would seem, in a completely simple and understandable real world, individual members of society perceive some things and phenomena somewhat inadequately. In fact, prejudice is a prejudice based on some kind of stereotype. It arises solely from a person’s unwillingness to think and evaluate the events of the world around him on his own.
Opinions based on parental authority, leadership, team, etc. and completely unreasoned - that’s what prejudice is. Of course, the presence of a person of various kinds of errors and stereotypes, which he stubbornly passes out as his own principles, speaks of social and personal immaturity, and sometimes of banal degradation. Such a person, in fact, simply falls out of reality and can often be dangerous not only for himself, but also for society.
An example of this is racial prejudice. A person who is trying to assert himself, not through personal development, but by gaining cheap authority by humiliating people with a different skin color or eyes, may possibly get some momentary benefit. However, material well-being is nothing compared to the degradation of the individual. Gradually, such a person will lose the feeling of reality more and more. It is not known how this could end.
However, the answer to the question of
what prejudice is often cannot be called simple. For example, people who are too actively imposing foreign traditions and lifestyle in their country are not at all fighters against racism, as they often try to present themselves to society. Paradoxically, they have exactly the same prejudice, but with respect to their own nation, which prevents them from adequately perceiving reality. Such a person often does not notice in the society of which he is a part, nothing good - only flaws.
Of course, not all prejudices are so serious and dangerous; there are prejudices — superstitions. However, even in harmless ones, such as a black cat who crossed the road, there is nothing good.
It is unreasonable to believe that some kind of misfortune will happen only because a completely
cute animal was heading off somewhere for his personal affairs. Many people have other, equally ridiculous superstitions and prejudices. Examples of this are the firm belief that, without exception, all entrepreneurs are thieves, or the conviction of foreigners that all Russians drink and steal. Such absurdities, after all, lead to more serious and dangerous types of prejudice - racial, class or religious.
It is wrong to believe that only different or not too high strata of society, or not too educated, are predisposed to all kinds of superstitions. In fact, highly intellectual, quite intelligent people can also be mistaken and show such ignorance . From this we can conclude that neither higher education, nor a high position in society can replace personal development and upbringing of the “I” on one's own, and not on someone else's experience.
So, what is prejudice is understandable. You need to think independently and only on the basis of independently made estimates to take any action. This will be useful both to the person himself and, as a result, to the whole society as a whole.