Dealing with Prejudiced People.
This will be my last entry on dealing with Judgmental people. Tomorrow we will move on to other topics.
The Prejudiced: This last group is a combination of all the above and can be created in two ways. One, they were brought up to be prejudiced. Two, they were a victim of circumstance. These people either had their belief drummed into them at a very early and impressionable age, or, they experienced events or situations that seemed to support a belief or stereotype held by their family or social group.
I have had a lot of experience dealing with people who are prejudice and it is rarely an easy situation, especially when their prejudiced is directed at you. How you deal with this type of person is a very personal experience and many things factor in to the overall experience. Situations can range from being involved with the prejudice person in your family or socially, in the work place, or in the worst case scenarios, in a life threatening situation.
First and foremost, is your safety and the safety of your loved ones. This is always be a priority and it is best not to be confrontational with a potentially violent person. Finding a gracious way out of the situation untilyou can confront the issue in a safe environment is always the best response.
It is also an option to just ignore the person, or their prejudice. Remember, we all have something we are prejudice about. Sometimes, you just have to leave a person where they are until they have enough experience to learn that they need to change their opinion. And, it is OK to do that. You do not have to single handedly change the world.
Last, If safety isn't an issue and an offending individuals prejudice is something you feel the need to address, it will take time and patience. Getting confrontational with this person will only back them into a corner and cause them to hold tighter to their beliefs.
Changing the mind of the prejudice will require you to utilize all of the ideas that have thus far been presented. If this is a task you choose to undertake, understand it will take a great deal of time, patience and love. Yes, LOVE! It will help to remember that prejudice usually comes from hurt or fear, whether real or imagined.
One last thing to remember, Sometimes people who need love the most, deserve it the least.
2 comments:
Being exposed to overt prejudice daily, I've softened my own hard edges brought about by deeds done by one specific ethnic group. How short-sighted of me, yet it was true honest emotion, more anger, for this crime commited against my dear brother Chris. It formed a worm in my heart of bias which took me years to expel. Now experiencing it myself so much I'm ashamed but relieved that I learned from it all. Ref your last sentence, you're saying showing love should depend on one's worthiness? Who doesn't deserve love? Oh I know: Do we have to love everybody? The man who hurt my brother? Maybe it was lack of love that played a part in forming him. Good thoughtful post. CATHY
http://journals.aol.com/luddie343/DARETOTHINK/
A very good entry on this subject. I have had to deal with some seriously prejudiced people before and it is never easy. Hugs,
Lisa
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