This is a continuation poll to this one -> http://isitnormal.com/poll/is-it-possible-to-be-racist-and-be-friends-with-people-of-other-races-129272/
So after making the poll and getting some interesting responses, I was thinking- is it possible to eb racist or sexist and not really know it? Could something treat another race poorly, or think negatively of the other gender or complain constantly about another race or another gender, and truly not believe that they're racist or sexist?
So after making the poll and getting some interesting responses, I was thinking- is it possible to eb racist or sexist and not really know it? Could something treat another race poorly, or think negatively of the other gender or complain constantly about another race or another gender, and truly not believe that they're racist or sexist?
Just do your best.
I'm talking more along the lines of the hard core racist and sexists; the ones that think white people are superior to blacks or hispanics, or females are the superior gender. Is it possible for someone to honestly believe that their gender is superior to the other but they don't believe that they're sexist?
There's an element of that. People are being attacked for saying what they think and that's plainly wrong. People have got to be able to say what they think. It's got to be a fair and open debate without mudslinging.
I guess what is starting to happen is that people do believe they are right but that society won't listen and so they just don't say anything. Whereas I'm on the easy "liberal" side of the coin and I can't be attacked in the same way for what I think.
It's an interesting point you raise.
I once argued with a user who used the argument "The Male Gender is the superior gender", and when I told him that he was sexist, he said that sexism (the definition) is the unjustified prejudice towards a sex and his opinion was justified, therefore, he was not sexist.
I've known people to be prejudice against black people and say that it's not prejudice because it is justified. Some of them had even gone the distance to back up their prejudice with scientific research and sociological data (i.e. That there are more blacks in jail than whites) as evidence that blacks are inferior, therefore, it is fact not prejudice.
Personally, I don't feel that prejudice is justified in any case, but I don't blame someone for having it. There is an innate need in us to dominate or to avoid dangerous encounters and I feel that prejudiced, even in it's most minute forms, fills that.
My point: Most people that are prejudiced don't just not realize it, but they don't even see themselves as prejudice at all.
Foreigners see that makes me be racist but that my opinoin
So yes, I feel that it is possible to be very racist or sexist without knowing so. Just like how a person who is incredibly negative towards others might not know that they are very negative. If you truly don't feel that there is anything wrong with your behavior, then you will have no desire to improve yourself and without that desire you will not bother to pick apart your character for analysis.
After all, if you are so deluded that you truly believe that there is nothing wrong with you, that every idea and opinion you hold is without flaw and you truly have never questioned yourself nor have you entertained questioning towards yourself, then why in the hell would you analyze yourself?
"I have [black/female/hispanic/gay] friends but I still think [offensive comment]"
So yes you can be prejudice without realizing it.
So, yes. Prejudice is relative to society.