Now I'm not one to go checking peoples profile page although I have done so on rare occasions. I also don't necessarily believe everything I read there either. I filled out my profile with just a few basic things. Everything there is the truth and accurate. I have earned college credits over the years while in the military and afterward on job training. Having never bothered to tally them up or pursue that piece of paper I do not have a degree. As a consequence I jokingly stated I went to the University of Life. I've had quite a few derisive comments directed my way using that as a basis. I just laugh. I figure I have a Phd in life after 67 years. I'm also in no hurry to "graduate." I do have a fairly recent picture of myself as a profile picture.
I don't know what others do, but I just respond to the comments others post. Unless I have known the person in the past, or had other contact with them previously, I am just reacting to a person. That person isn't white, black, green, blue, purple or any other color, just a person. I don't know their religion , their beliefs, or much of anything else about them. It's a safe and secure environment as well. Probably why some folks say the things they do, they are safe in their little world. Yes, that applies to me as well, there are times I will say something that if in person I may have hesitated to say. And that is the heart of the matter isn't it?
The more we get to know about others, the more assumptions we make, the more we judge their reactions. We build a bias into that relationship. The bias I'm thinking about isn't necessarily prejudice, prejudice is simply prejudging, For instance, if we are speaking to a person of color we won't use certain words or phrases unless we are that persons color. People of color don't use certain words or phrases when speaking to white people. That's the bias I'm thinking about. In electronics that bias is the constant and causes other parts of the circuit to respond accordingly. Ignoring the bias causes erratic behavior, mayhem and sometimes complete destruction. That happens with people all the time.
The bias is our own life experience as compared to others. My life experience is a constant with me and an unknown to you. It's the old walk a mile in my shoes analogy. We may relate to common experiences, perhaps even share them, but the experience is a personal one regardless. What I mean is the way we process that. It is also the way we apply that in the future. Your comments, your reactions will be compared against the bias. That has become to be commonly referred to as, prejudice! All white people are prejudiced against people of color, all people of color are prejudiced against white people, the rich disdain the poor, the poor envy the rich, and so it goes on and on. The truth is, the bias is constant, what isn't constant is our reaction to that bias. We react according to the signals we receive. On social media, like Facebook, the signals are often weak. We don't have any preconceived notions or ideas about the other person. That's why there are times when the reaction is far greater than we expected. That reaction can be positive or negative.
I was wondering what if we created a social platform where no one knows the others race, religion, ethnicity, education level, or anything else. What if we all had to react to others based solely on their perceptions of the world. How long do you think you could go without mentioning any of that? What if you didn't know my gender, my age, my race, any of that at all? How would you respond? Would it be in a polite and respectful manner? Or would it be the way most of us really are, human. Yes being human means you will react differently to every situation based on your past experiences. I have a tendency to be human, although some call it something else. I will give you my honest reaction to whatever you present to me. Yes I may temper that reaction a bit, but I won't change my bias. I will politely tell you why I disagree. We don't seek a reason when someone agrees with us, only when they don't. But what if we can't apply our bias? That's what I'm thinking about. I can not use my gender, my race, my education level, or my age as a qualifier for what I'm saying. How long could you hold a discussion with others without that? Probably the more important question is this: how far into a conversation can you get without forming an opinion about the other person in regard to any of those qualities? I'd say not far. The reason is obvious enough, you will be comparing their thoughts against your inherent bias. Is that being prejudicial?
I don't know what others do, but I just respond to the comments others post. Unless I have known the person in the past, or had other contact with them previously, I am just reacting to a person. That person isn't white, black, green, blue, purple or any other color, just a person. I don't know their religion , their beliefs, or much of anything else about them. It's a safe and secure environment as well. Probably why some folks say the things they do, they are safe in their little world. Yes, that applies to me as well, there are times I will say something that if in person I may have hesitated to say. And that is the heart of the matter isn't it?
The more we get to know about others, the more assumptions we make, the more we judge their reactions. We build a bias into that relationship. The bias I'm thinking about isn't necessarily prejudice, prejudice is simply prejudging, For instance, if we are speaking to a person of color we won't use certain words or phrases unless we are that persons color. People of color don't use certain words or phrases when speaking to white people. That's the bias I'm thinking about. In electronics that bias is the constant and causes other parts of the circuit to respond accordingly. Ignoring the bias causes erratic behavior, mayhem and sometimes complete destruction. That happens with people all the time.
The bias is our own life experience as compared to others. My life experience is a constant with me and an unknown to you. It's the old walk a mile in my shoes analogy. We may relate to common experiences, perhaps even share them, but the experience is a personal one regardless. What I mean is the way we process that. It is also the way we apply that in the future. Your comments, your reactions will be compared against the bias. That has become to be commonly referred to as, prejudice! All white people are prejudiced against people of color, all people of color are prejudiced against white people, the rich disdain the poor, the poor envy the rich, and so it goes on and on. The truth is, the bias is constant, what isn't constant is our reaction to that bias. We react according to the signals we receive. On social media, like Facebook, the signals are often weak. We don't have any preconceived notions or ideas about the other person. That's why there are times when the reaction is far greater than we expected. That reaction can be positive or negative.
I was wondering what if we created a social platform where no one knows the others race, religion, ethnicity, education level, or anything else. What if we all had to react to others based solely on their perceptions of the world. How long do you think you could go without mentioning any of that? What if you didn't know my gender, my age, my race, any of that at all? How would you respond? Would it be in a polite and respectful manner? Or would it be the way most of us really are, human. Yes being human means you will react differently to every situation based on your past experiences. I have a tendency to be human, although some call it something else. I will give you my honest reaction to whatever you present to me. Yes I may temper that reaction a bit, but I won't change my bias. I will politely tell you why I disagree. We don't seek a reason when someone agrees with us, only when they don't. But what if we can't apply our bias? That's what I'm thinking about. I can not use my gender, my race, my education level, or my age as a qualifier for what I'm saying. How long could you hold a discussion with others without that? Probably the more important question is this: how far into a conversation can you get without forming an opinion about the other person in regard to any of those qualities? I'd say not far. The reason is obvious enough, you will be comparing their thoughts against your inherent bias. Is that being prejudicial?
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