Allow me to offer the quote of noted author and essayist E.B. White opinion concerning prejudice. “Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.”
With so much prejudice on display these days it has earned syndrome status. A syndrome is commonly defined as a “disease.” Some must enjoy having prejudice because they keep passing it around to infect others.
The only known cure is one that too few people seem to seek; listen critically to everything told to you by others. Do they see and share both sides of an argument? Do they offer traceable proof of their claims? Do they listen to you and respond thoughtfully to your questions? If the answer to these questions is no, you may be dealing with a prejudice person. Cease listening to them. It will be good for your mental health.
Bill….this is one of your very best posts….thanks!
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Hi, Bill!
I have already provided a compliment on your blog about this latest post from E.B. White….excellent. I prompts me to share with you a letter that I recently sent to the editor of our local newspaper, the Transylvania Times. I do not have great confidence that my suggested letter will be published, since the ideas that I expressed are somewhat at odds to the majority of letters published in that newspaper. Time will tell.
My letter to the TT, dated 13 June 2019:
How We Can “Do Better” in Sharing and Assessing Public Views
A recently-published letter to the Transylvania Times entitled “America, We Can Do Better,” perfectly illustrates the regrettable scarcity of discipline and rigorous thinking in current political commentary. The letter is replete with emotionally-charged terms bereft of serious meaning and breathlessly attributes unbecoming behaviors to the president of the United States e.g. “sickening experience…revolting performance….bellowed….caved….screamed.” To validate his diatribe, the writer merely offered asserted conclusions and opinions, many of which are highly suspect.
Let’s all take a deep breath and try to be more objective and less emotional when presenting our views and considering those of others. We are all in this together, folks! God Bless America!!
See you soon, Bill!
Duke
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Duke, Your letter to the editor could be sent to most news outlets these days. I just completed the reading of a book about which I had held high expectations. Titled “The Most Dangerous Branch” , the book promised a fair assessment of the Supreme Court. It was far from that. I have never seen the use of so many one or two word quotations with no attribution as to source in my entire reading experience. I will be communicating my displeasure to the author. Hang in there brother.
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Good post, Bill. Cuts right to the quick. I have always contended that we all tend to “pre-judge” to some degree, which is somewhat normal. The way we act upon our prejudices determines what our character is. 🙂
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