Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
See? You're prejudiced :-)
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Exactly. Pre-judging things is the key to our survival despite being a hindrance to understanding.
If something is perceived as threatening, regardless of the actual level of threat, the logical thing to do is to avoid and resist that thing. If the thing happens to be a real threat, avoiding/resisting may be the instinct that saves you; and if it turns out the threat was imagined then embarrassment is the only loss.
We discriminate all of the time about every single thing, and that's not necessarily bad. Discrimination goes wrong when we are presented with an opportunity to understand where someone else is coming from while in a safe environment, and still choose to react instead of learn.
I've never been overtly taken advantage of or ripped off by a sharply dressed person (not to say it never happens). Bernie Madoff represents the sharp dressed crook, covertly stealing from others.