This has a very strong influence on how people behave and interact with those who are different from them. As a result, it can also cause them to miss out on relationships or conversations that have the potential to be deeply fulfilling. Those on the receiving end of prejudice are particularly impacted, though. For example, the ubiquitous prejudice against Black people has translated into higher incarceration rates, fewer job offers, and lower pay. Another blatant example is the prejudice against Muslims; the rampant anti-Muslim sentiment in the West has led many people to believe that all Muslims are violent and hateful.
According to psychologist Gordon Allport , prejudice and stereotypes emerge in part as a result of normal human thinking. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it.
In other words, we often depend upon our ability to place people, ideas, and objects into different categories in order to make the world easier to understand.
We are simply inundated with too much information to sort through all of it in a logical, methodical, and rational fashion. Unfortunately, this quick categorization leads to faulty assumptions that have an impact on individuals and the world at large. Whether deeply ingrained, taught, or an implicit bias , it is important to fight our own prejudices we have against others.
One of the first ways to do this is to understand and accept that it happens. When you realize that you are pre-judging someone else, try asking yourself the following questions:. In addition to looking at the reasons why prejudice occurs, researchers have also explored different ways that prejudice can be reduced or even eliminated. For example, equipping yourself with the skills to be more wholly empathetic to members of another group is one method that has shown considerable success.
Instead, they become a more complex being in your eyes—someone with a mother and father, a sibling, a friend to others, a co-worker, a romantic partner. Someone with unique interests, the ability to love, cry, and feel. Other techniques that are used to reduce prejudice include:. Knowing what prejudice is and why it tends to occur is an important step in helping the world become a more welcoming, equal place.
Continue to have important conversations, acknowledge your own potential biases, and strive to understand others on a deeper level. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Who is prejudiced, and toward whom? The big five traits and generalized prejudice. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development.
Boston, MA: Springer; Economic Policy Institute. Black-white wage gaps expand with rising wage inequality. Updated September 20, You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
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Often, prejudice is based on ignorance. The solution is education, but many people choose to remain ignorant, as their prejudices often make them feel superior. Victims of a particular kind of bullying may go on to become bullies themselves. In the same way, if a person has been a victim of prejudice, there is a chance that they will come to hold similar opinions about others.
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