Blog Post #34: Understanding Why (pt.2)

In the last blog, we discussed why people are still asking why, after this last election, "these people" continue to support this guy. As we pointed out, everyone is different and has different reasons for voting the way they did and for supporting the people they support. The only way to understand why they do this is to ask them and ask in a respectful way. Much of human behavior has to do with emotion, fear in particular. This is especially true today. I have never seen the level of fear so high in this country.

So here is the second example of how prejudice develops. My friend, who fired me as a friend after 50 years, developed a set of prejudices as a young boy growing up in the north. As a child, he watched his father’s store being burned during the riots of the 60s. This was an exceedingly hurtful experience for him and his family, and one that he never forgot, that shaped his attitude toward the black community. We often develop prejudice by having a negative experience with a racial group or simply by being hurt deeply, which was the case with my aunt and my friend. If there's someone around who tells us who to blame, we will often listen to them. Most of us have been hurt quite deeply at times, and some politicians have used this and fear quite skillfully.

If we are to change people's prejudices, we must understand them and help them to understand themselves. This means understanding how they developed and helping them to understand their prejudices since they are the agents of change, not us. Taking a "do-gooder" approach and "I know better " attitude doesn't work. Telling people they are on the wrong side of history doesn't work either. Listening and understanding works to change prejudices. This is hard work, and it takes time.

Ron Breazeale PhD