Saturday, February 26, 2011

What We Don't Know, Scares Us

This is in response to Mariah Key's question, "Why do you think that people are uncomfortable with differences around them?".

So to answer Mariah's question, I think it would be right to say that in general, most people are uncomfortable with the unknown. Often times, prejudice stems from lack of knowledge or ignorance. Humans have a hard time stepping outside of their comfort shell and exploring the unknown. They don't want to get to know other people who don't share similar traits with them, because this would entail putting their own sense of security on the line to make another feel comfortable. Human beings have a need to feel included and accepted, but they are less willing to help others feel the same if they sense any sort of risk in doing so. As selfish creatures, people tend to watch out for their own self interest. That's why differences pose such a major problem.

Q: Do you think it would ever be possible to eliminate prejudice?

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