Prejudice

[Obscene Eyedeas]

Do you believe prejudice is part of our basic instincts or something we learn? I believe it is something we learn for the simple reason of this story i heard.

i read a story about a boy called Kasper Hauser. He led the first 18 years of his life chained to a harness in a dark cellar until he was freed by a man who left him in the centre of his town. His mentally health was not adversely affected except for the fact that he had never seen anything outside the cellar where he'd lived for 18 years.

Kasper was completly unprejudiced. He had never been thought to feel superior to other people, to call anyone names, to feel jealous, spite hatred or even fear.

This true story from the 18 century proves that prejudice originates in peoples environment and experiences

[screamtobeheard]

I think it's learned as well. My parents are pretty prejudiced and I have to keep my mouth shut to keep from being reprimanded by defending the people my parents are prejudiced against. I think that for one to become prejudice you have to be raised around a lot of people who are that way, and it will be ground into your head. For someone like me, you have to make a conscious decision not to be like the people around you.

I don't know if that made any sense, but I tried to explain my opinion.

[Sapphire]

i read a story about a boy called Kasper Hauser. He led the first 18 years of his life chained to a harness in a dark cellar until he was freed by a man who left him in the centre of his town.He was found on the streets walking like a toddler after having been released by his captor. And from what I can ascertain, he was about 16/17 - not 18.
His mentally health was not adversely affected except for the fact that he had never seen anything outside the cellar where he'd lived for 18 years.Are you forgetting that he was barely able to speak at the time he was found, and could only write his name? I would consider those to be an adverse affect tbh.

In fact the fact that he had some language is an indicator that he wasn't isolated in the cellar for the whole of his life. He was able to learn to read, write and speak properly after a while. Considering this, he obviously had been exposed to and learned some language before his incarceration.

Kasper was completly unprejudiced. He had never been thought to feel superior to other people, to call anyone names, to feel jealous, spite hatred or even fear.

This true story from the 18 century proves that prejudice originates in peoples environment and experiences
Where did you get this from?
I seem to have trouble finding it.

[nick]

I believe that it is natural for people to be frightened of, and therefore prejudiced against, things which they are not used to or to which they have not been exposed. We do not necessary learn our parents prejudices. Many people here on vt have homophobic parents for example, but that doesnt mean that they share this prejudice. So I would say its a mixture of vibes that we pick up from the society in which we grow up together with a natural fear of the unfamiliar.

[littlerascal]

People notice differences naturally, making them naturally prejudiced.

[Sapphire]

Personally, I think it is a natural thing.
We naturally put people into groups and this is going to lead to the inevitable perception of "them" and "us". With this will come some prejudice.
To overcome it, you need to educate people since it is born out of ignorance.

[Obscene Eyedeas]

i got it from a book about prejudice when i was writing my mental health speech last year. if you want ill track it down again

[Sapphire]

i got it from a book about prejudice when i was writing my mental health speech last year. if you want ill track it down again
Please.
Considering the errors I have pointed out, the book would be of great interest to me.

[Perseus]

Do I think it is natural? Yes.
I mean, I'm prejudice as fuck, and my parents have nothing to do with or my enviroment.

[Sugaree]

I like to think that a person being prejudice comes from the choice of being prejudice. I'm a bit like that myself, but it's my choice to be. I'd also like to think it's the environment one is raised in. Now I may be prejudice, but I know my family isn't. Am I comfortable with being prejudice? Sure, but I'm only like that to some and not all like most.

[Mental]

I think prejudice comes from our environment, mainly, and what we're used to seeing and hearing. Things like stereotypes play a big role in the way we think, and there's nothing really wrong with that. Thoughts and feelings aren't wrong, only the way we choose to act upon these prejudices are wrong.

If I meet a 6'3" muscly skinhead guy with tattoos down his neck who speaks with a rough accent, I will automatically assume this guy is involved in gangs, or crime or at least a supporter of such activities or something along them lines. However, I would be wrong to use this prejudice as my reasoning for not say speaking to him, or giving him a chance in an interview if I were an employer.