Coded gray.

Saturday 23 June 2001

Flowers

Pic of the day: "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." When flowers do this, we think they are adorable. If people live the same way, we think it is deplorable.

Don't dismiss prejudice

Prejudice simply means to judge beforehand. Originally it seems to come from the courts of law: When there was a judgement in a strikingly similar case, there was no reason to sit down and deliberate the application of law over again. Reinvent the wheel, as it were.

Prejudice and stereotyping are simply more specific forms of a useful human trait: Generalization. We generalize from a set of examples so we don't need to think about the matter again. This means for instance that when we see a new chair, we don't need to learn again that it can be used to sit in. Sure, that would be entertaining. But it would also be a pretty clear sign of major brain damage.

On the other hand, we should not generalize too much. A camping stool and a toilet seat can both be used to sit on, but it is wise to notice the differences too.

***

In the same way, it does not make sense to view each new person we meet with no assumptions at all. We do know some things about people in general, and some about specific cultures. What we should do, however, is be flexible. With humans, there are exceptions to every rule. Not even identical twins are identical, much less all Norwegians or all white men.

I am on the receiving end of this sometimes. People seem to think "he can't possibly be so different". But I can. Just because we have a lot in common doesn't mean we are exactly alike. For instance, I am not lonely and depressed just because I am single. Some people need much company, others little. From my childhood onward, I have enjoyed my own thoughts and dreams in solitude. I still do. On the other hand, many people are scared of silence, afraid of solitude, and desperate for company. It doesn't even seem to follow any visible outer signs, like skin color, age or gender.

So just because I'm single, that doesn't mean I'm unhappy. Just because I'm Scandinavian, that doesn't mean I think high taxes are a gift from Heaven. Just because I'm a christian, that doesn't mean I think the planet is less than 6000 years old.

***

Of course, I have my own prejudices. "But they are good prejudices", to quote a running joke on a BBS network a decade ago. Of course, you'll be the judge of that!

For instance, I expect people to be stupid and greedy. Certainly some people are smart idealists, and I do let myself convince when I see it. But the default value for humans is stupid and greedy. That is what doesn't surprise me. I think this is a reasonable assumption, when you look at the best selling newspaper, the most popular TV channels, the most visited web sites. And above all, when you look at advertising. Remember, advertising is not random blind luck. The companies employ psychologists and sociologists to find out what makes people tick, and then they target these hooks in people.

I don't have a TV, for various reasons. That's a story in itself, but it means that when I come over and visit people with a TV, I get a fresh view. I am not dulled by daily exposure. I find the advertisements often the most interesting part of the programming. The assumptions they make about their viewers are sometimes disgusting, but often entertaining.

I remember having the same reaction when I first heard radio advertising. It was so stupid, so low-brow, that I cringed on behalf of the poor people who had to lend their voice to it. But evidently it has been a success, because it just goes on and on.

I started to list some specific prejudices of mine here, but there is neither time nor space. It would take days. I'm sure you will see more of them if you look through my archive, or in the future if any.


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