Generalizations
Prejudice and generalizations are frolicking partners in the world today as I am sure they have been in the past. Nothing quite shows one’s stupidity as much as espoused generalizations of any group of people. Oh, I know we all do it. Whether it is ignorance handed down from generation to generation, trumpeted by the “heralders of truth”, or simply forwarded within our own social groups. This is blanket thinking to keep one from doing the work of delving into any singular incident or cause thereof, allowing said individual to feel superior.
I would love to say I am immune to such thoughts, but they invade my mind as a constant reminder of societal focus. Black, white, rich, poor, liberal, conservative, various groups of people clearly labeled as a one-dimensional entity. It truly makes it easy to dismiss these groups as gray blobs to be ignored, hated, avoided, feared or praised. All the time, ignoring the fact that every individual has distinct DNA separating them from every other individual. A complex mathematical formula to guarantee singularity of physical and mental existence. Snowflakes! All of us! Every time we make a generalization it is a mockery of that simple fact.
Prejudice feeds on these stereotypes. Every time you paint an individual with the brush of generalizations, you are exercising your prejudice. Categorizing a person according to their image or alliances allows us an easy way to dismiss their opinion or worth. Preconceived notions oftentimes stopping us from marvelous and wonderful interactions that could enrich our lives.
Unfortunately, our media here in America feeds on these generalities to create sensationalism. They use their pulpits to incite the masses by describing the news of the day with bias, pitting one convention against another, setting themselves up as the true prognosticators of what is right. They are famous beautiful people coming into millions of homes every day. They are so much smarter than you. You must trust them and not think for yourself. Shhhh….go to sleep….wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed with the full powers of the preconceptions they have instilled in your mind…no need to think…..
Nope! Here at the Church of Commonsense we work just a little bit harder than that. We know that using generalizations is a lazy inefficient way to view the world around us and each individual action has it’s own motive. Good or evil is subjective and must be determined on a personal level. We do our best to ignore the prejudicial ideas bombarding us to apply the intellect necessary for each different scenario we encounter.
Are we human? Of course we are! We will stumble and fall prey to those nasty preconceived notions, but with luck, we will know when it’s happening and adjust our thinking accordingly. That’s just using common sense.
Your faithful servant
jeff
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