| > | | | | insecurities. Presenting to us our worst fears of |
| | | | what we would never want to have to face, let |
| Prejudices are created out of the inability to | | | | alone deal with everyday. We fear confrontation |
| accept change and difference. | | | | with others, an inability to understand and |
| Life is but a myriad of structures which we order | | | | confusion. Mostly we like order and structure |
| to feel comfortable within our own personal | | | | and when new and unusual things come into play |
| environment and for various survival reasons. | | | | they make for disruption in our solid lives that |
| We associate our relationship with the world | | | | have a flow set to our approval. |
| through our bodies and the structures and rules | | | | This is when prejudices come into play. That is |
| that we live by as a guiding pattern for life. | | | | after fear, discomfort and inability to feel |
| These structures embody cultural and ethical | | | | comfortable within new experiences. We pick at |
| philosophies as well as physical qualities that we | | | | things like vultures hungry to get to the bottom |
| seek to uphold to, all of which we have become | | | | of things in order to make life flow on as |
| extremely familiar with. They encompass | | | | normal. It is important to know everything, to |
| everyday actions, people, things and places that | | | | put it into a bundle or package with a label in |
| we come into contact with. | | | | order to reason it in our lives. We then identify |
| When we live within these set structures that we | | | | ourselves as culturally different and say we are |
| associate with as our identity, we continue | | | | this and that, set labels to identify our own |
| without discomfort when all seems normal and | | | | identity in relationship with the world around us. |
| unchanging. It is only the times when new | | | | We might make jokes in order to feel |
| experiences, people and places are being | | | | comfortable, to make light of the discomfort in |
| introduced to us that we feel uncomfortable and | | | | order to overlook our own insecurities and |
| indifferent about the things being presented | | | | dissatisfaction. It is still just another way to |
| before us. It can create either a curiosity of | | | | avoid the discomfort issues at hand than to face |
| interest or instead a retaliation of discomfort | | | | what is new and learn to become accustomed to |
| when new experiences are undertaken. We | | | | it. |
| often start the comparing game, and try to find | | | | We all know that over time things become normal |
| all the things that are strange about what we are | | | | when it is seen on a daily basis. Allowing time to |
| seeing. We are looking at the differences | | | | adjust is one of the first ways in which to deal |
| between our set lives to the new reality being | | | | with difference and avoiding the aggressive acts |
| shown before us. | | | | of prejudices. Prejudices really are just our own |
| These things can include adjustments to new | | | | inability to cope with change and wanting to make |
| houses, people, cultures or places. The first thing | | | | ourselves feel better within a space of newness, |
| that is evident is the differences between the | | | | creating a series of set personal insecurities. |
| individuals or events taking place. Whether that | | | | Questioning why we feel so negative towards a |
| includes color of skin, language, personality or | | | | new environment or new people is a way to |
| physical features we seek to find all the things | | | | resolve our own discomfort. Facing it is also a |
| that set us apart from others in order to justify | | | | good way in which to make it familiar and to see |
| our own personal identity. This also includes | | | | it for what it really is, only but a new |
| physical places and things, when comparing old | | | | experience. |
| comforts with new lifestyle. | | | | Whether we decide to see difference as good or |
| As cultures we isolate ourselves within set | | | | bad is an individual choice and personal |
| philosophies on how to order life and live within | | | | perception. It does not matter how new things |
| rules that constitute our own idealistic society. | | | | are approached they will still need to be |
| We say that we are a certain nationality, with a | | | | confronted, especially when they continue to be |
| set language, set beliefs and even ethical | | | | around us everyday. Facing it with an open mind |
| philosophies to which we feel we must abide by. | | | | and interest makes for a better understanding of |
| When we then see other people living very | | | | the experiences being presented to us, giving us |
| differently to our own reasoning a conflict begins | | | | the ability to see it as a part of the whole. |
| to arise. | | | | Avoidance only leads to more and more |
| This conflict often begins first with avoiding or not | | | | discomfort and only furthers our isolation and |
| willing to see what is different. In some cases | | | | inability to resolve the new issues at hand. |
| avoidance can work for a very long time, but | | | | Gradually over time these insecurities build up to a |
| eventually we are faced again with the issue | | | | point that we are faced with the things we fear |
| when it comes back into play. Like for instance | | | | whether we like it or not, sometimes causing |
| the difference between two entirely different | | | | exchange of anger and inability to resolve |
| cultures. Now that we have such a global | | | | personal differences. Only when we begin to |
| society we are more and more confronted with | | | | accept change and difference will we then find the |
| new and different people with their own set | | | | experiences as common and normal without |
| values and upbringing. We see their language, | | | | having any impact on us anymore, leading to a |
| their lifestyles and reality as completely strange to | | | | much more open, enhanced and comfortable life, |
| our own experienced. When communication | | | | with more options in which to identify ourselves |
| problems come into play between both cultures | | | | with. |
| then this is where the problem begins. | | | | Learning to accept change is the doorway to |
| The worst thing for a person is to not be | | | | opening up more opportunity to learn and |
| understood. We all value our own opinion and | | | | experience through difference. Prejudices only |
| contribution to society and when it comes to | | | | show our inability to feel comfortable with change, |
| differences it is at these times that we can find | | | | suppressing our ability to move on to new |
| scenarios that confront our own deep | | | | horizons and experiences. |