Unintentional, subconscious bigotry

[DS1]

You have the obvious bigots, who proudly wear their bigotry on their sleeves, and who have enough self-awareness to know they're bigots.

But then, you have those people who, as far as they're concerned, aren't bigots, at all. They may be nice people. Consciously, they may genuinely believe in say, gender equality. But, they are subconsciously bigoted. They'll have a bigoted reaction towards a certain kind of people, but not be able to explain it. Or, they'll be a little aware that they may sound bigoted, but make all sorts of rationalization to explain why their reaction is anything but bigotry.

Repeated exposure to stereotypes, combined with a weak will, minimal imagination and ability to think for oneself, all play a role in subconscious bigotry. They frequently see people of a certain ethnicity in fiction play a certain kind of role, and whenever they see someone of said ethnicity in a non-stereotypical role, particularly one that is more flattering and empowering than the role(s) said race habitually plays, to these people, it can never seem right. They're too closed-minded to be fascinated by something so refreshing.

Has anyone here ever been guilty of unintentional bigotry? Because I'm ashamed to say that sometimes, I have. But fortunately, I always think it through, always get over it. I'm pretty open-minded for the most part. I remember when I saw the Spawn movie back in the late nighties. I was a pre-teen then. I was used to characters like Spawn being white, so when I saw that he was black, I actually liked it. It was refreshing. Still, I can't always escape society's bad influence, but it always fade away, fortunately.

[CSTowle]

Can we combine a couple of these threads? Seems a shame to clutter up the boards with similar themed conversations, especially coming from the same poster.

[Pharozonk]

You seem to have a weird fixation on gender roles lately....

[Kees_L]

Unintentional, subconscious bigotry

You can choose and maintain or even shape your own behavior and mentality perfectly, as you will have the first and foremost say in how you'd want to go about things, anything.

That's what 'society' would be expecting of you, because that's what's expected of entirely everyone as being considered a responsible individual.

You can find out what any people would be to need or feel. So no harm or bigotry would be required for a result.
Intentions would never have to not fit or prove too hard to adjust to, since anyone would only hardly ever crave or seek being harmed or wronged.

It's not about what you know or what to get over. But about knowing how to act or at least how not to.
It's not about what to blame. But about making yourself become and remain loved and respected for how you'd be.

Or there would be help you could seek.
Help to become confident and apt at helping yourself onto becoming regarded positively in the eyes of whomever both as yourself. It's up to you.

[Arvandor]

There are many who don't consider themselves bigots, and don't do bigoted things or engage in bigoted behaviour. But they'll never do anything to fight against it either. They just don't care.

[Kees_L]

There are many who don't consider themselves bigots, and don't do bigoted things or engage in bigoted behaviour.

How would that ever be to count for much in itself 'though?

Wouldn't any behavior of choice be mostly about the result or outcome to it, for anyone?

[Kieran_Frost]

Has anyone here ever been guilty of unintentional bigotry? Because I'm ashamed to say that sometimes, I have. But fortunately, I always think it through, always get over it. I'm pretty open-minded for the most part. I remember when I saw the Spawn movie back in the late nighties. I was a pre-teen then. I was used to characters like Spawn being white, so when I saw that he was black, I actually liked it. It was refreshing. Still, I can't always escape society's bad influence, but it always fade away, fortunately.

Nearly everyone is guilty of unintentional bigotry at one point or another; the difference is those that realise, apologies and grow from it, and those that dig their heels, living in denial they did or said or thought anything wrong. Those people can still be educated, but it's a much longer process.

[Paradox]

Pharozonk needs a look back:

You seem to have a weird fixation on gender roles lately....

Lately? That's ALL he's ever talked about...gender roles and sexuality.

[Stony]

Keep it civil, please
Thank you

[AgentCooper]

Hey DS1,

I feel what you are saying. I think a lot of people fall into that subconscious level of doing it and then one day, they (me included) say something that obviously crosses the line. It doesn't happen often with me, but I do it sometimes and I do feel bad about it. I think a lot of it has come from my travels and seeing lots of things that has kinda shaped the way I see certain groups. It's not right because everyone is their own person and I think I have a pretty level head, but yeah, every blue moon something inside me that I'm unaware of comes out and I have to then take a step back and reassess.

[Cotton]

For some reason, looking back as a kid, I remember I was around 7 or 8 and saw wolverine's face without his mask for the first time. I remember thinking: "dude, wolverine is kind of ugly." Which prompt me to dislike Canadians for a while.

[Fenris]

Project Implicit is an interesting online psychology test. You hit one key for good words (happy, positive, joy, etc.) and another for bad words (disaster, horrible, misery...) You spend a few minutes doing this, so your fingers get used to it.

Then they project images of black or white faces on the screen, and measure how this changes the speed of your responses. It's a neat way of finding people's unconscious associations.

õ
Neat, and kind of disturbing!