We all have prejudices. Sometimes those are based on past experience and make sense to us. Back when Cadillac was the luxury car of choice I had a hard time accepting people who drove Cadillacs. I considered them snobs and spendthrifts. Then one day I got to know a couple that drove a Cadillac. I was forced to reevaluate my prejudice. I still have no use for Rolex, but give me time.
What is one man’s prejudice is another man’s reasoned response. I hate liver. I am sure I have said that before. It is not a prejudice, it is a reasoned response. I was forced to eat it as a child. I have smelled it for years. I know of what I speak. When people tell me I have just never had it prepared right I give them a recitation on the role of the liver in the body. When I see bins of chili peppers in a Latino market I am interested but leery. I will admit that my previous experience with peppers have not always been pleasant so I am a bit prejudiced. Does that mean that I reject the peppers? No, it means I proceed with caution, willing to learn.
When I see a guy with tattoos out the wazoo I have the same concerns. If I see him in the park pushing a two year old on the swings I realize my prejudice needs to be adjusted. If I see him wearing an Antifa shirt and carrying a stick I have a different reaction. A man of reason can recognize his prejudices as emotional reactions and compensate for them. That is the way most of us are made.
We need to understand the difference between prejudice and sound judgment. One is based on emotional reaction and the other is thoughtful response.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.