Confessions of prejudice | Vital Football

Confessions of prejudice

  • Thread starter Villan Of The North
  • Start date
V

Villan Of The North

Guest
I feel that certain elements on this site have, from time to time, contributed to a hostile atmosphere in discussions/debates and even that which is intended as banter. I believe that much of this is as a result of prejudice from one or more parties.

I believe that we all have prejudices, it's a coping mechanism, as is stereotyping, to allow us to get on with our lives without having to bog ourselves down in the details of every little thing.........if we did we'd never get anything done.

The problem with this is that we don't always look at details when we should and our prejudices migrate from being a coping mechanism to something that is destructive and even hurtful, dare I say, dangerous.

I believe the first step in overcoming prejudices is acknowledging them, when you recognise something you are more likely to confront it and examine the rational.

With this in mind I thought it might be interesting for people to confess/acknowledge their prejudices in order to both help themselves overcome them and to help others understand them.

I know it's a bit of an experiment and it might be tough for some to admit to things that they might consider embarrassing or be ashamed of but it also might lead to interesting discussion and, dare I say it, a bit more understanding and respect.

So, I'll get the ball rolling with a couple from me:

I'm a racist! I don't dislike people of other ethnic origins, indeed I have and have had over the years, various different friends from other ethnic backgrounds than my own. However, in my teen years, I did experience feelings of extreme tension/caution, even bordering on fear when walking past 2 black guys on an isolated footpath. Obviously it was an amalgamation of circumstances that made me feel this way but I know for a fact that two white guys would not have made me feel this way. I know it was irrational but it's how I felt. I also group people based on their race/religion. For example I feel that all Muslim Arab men mistreat women. Rationally I know this can't be true but every time I hear of such a case in the news I find myself thinking "typical!"

I am homophobic! I have no problems with homosexuals and have had homosexual friends in my life and I do not think them all to be sexual preditors or peadophiles as some seem to believe. However, I just don't like to see two men (or indeed two women) showing public affection beyond that of the standard acts of friendship. How consenting adults behave in their own home is no problem for me, nor is it any business of mine, but in public I find heterosexual couples showing affection as endearing, in particular in elderly couples, but I feel uncomfortable when homosexual couples do the same. There is no logic to it, I'm fully aware of that but I just don't like it. Just to be clear, I'm not talking about people snogging or being overtly sexual, I'm talking about simple things like holding hands.

So there you go, rip me to shreds if you feel the need. I'm not proud of these feelings but they are very real to me. I wonder if anyone else on hear has the self insight and guts to admit anything similar.........we will see.
 
I live in Smethwick , so it would be so easy to be a racist . it's nothing to do with colour of skin or religion .
It's the filthy habits of the lower classes of all colours and creeds , ie spitting everywhere , dossing about , not working , appalling driving, the way they treat women etc.

I also have a fear of big bald Norweigian men

:10:
 
Ian , I do know where you are coming from I don't like walking down Cape Hill but am ok 1 mile away in Bearwood .
My stepdaughter hates the bus to Brum as she get letched at by Asian and eastern European males.
As I say that is not racist or colour that is just a fact, dirty flithy low class dossers

I had a very sheltered up bringing in the shires , and didn't realise just how bad areas of the West Midland are.

I can't say I'm racist because I work with many Indians , but they are mostly very well educated engineers.
I think it's a class thing with me and that is strange coming from a working class bloke like me , I'm still a bloke not a Guy , if you know what I mean ?
I think I just dislike the sub working class that has evolved , ie chavs , car washers, dossers , people who make themselves unemployable by the way they dress .

Sorry if that makes me a bad person but I think I'm your stereotypical Britsh working class male .
I do tend to speak my mind which these days is rare.

PS I also see Blues fans as low life but there again that is also speaking from experience



 
Similar to 57, I dislike the under class (not to be confused with the good, honest, working class) and those that think the benefits are there as a lifestyle for them when they could work

I despise those at the upper echelons of our society including the rob dog royals (just need to see Dispatches from last week to see what Charlie is like and the Duchee not paying taxes etc)
 
I think intrusion into other people's lives is what the problem is.

Whilst religion, racism, homosexuality, etc plays no nuisance behind closed doors - it becomes an issue when it gets imposed onto others in their own public life.

Whilst im religious, I certainly wouldnt go around imposing myself onto your life. On a forum this is just conversation and debating etc...But I wouldnt knock on your door trying to sell a bible, or swallow up your city/town centre dancing about in robes singing hymns. And to be honest, this is what pisses me off about homosexuals, its that they impose themselves onto my life. I couldnt give a damn what you all get up to but should I have to experience the freak show if I want to visit my city centre a couple of Saturday's ago? Does this make the gay community any better than the painstaking J.Witnesses that knock your door, or the tele sales that phone you up when you are trying to watch Top Gear?

Everyone should be entitled to a life - but some people have to shout their life onto others. This is my prejudice. (going back to what Fear said - that there could be many people and you dont even know they are gay..Well my best friends dont even know im religious.
 
i am prejudice against the following .... chavs, government organisations, big global corporations, and general bullies (especially on the roads).

i pray in the next few years, the markets will vanish, all shares and deposits are lost and mankind can go back to the proper way of barter and looking after themselves (would wet myself with excitement if after the big crash a mad max type world happened)
 
This thread is a classic , 151 views as of now and only 8 comments , This is what we have become now , too frightened to say what you think but sit behind closed doors moaning about anything and everything .
 
And perhaps too afraid to admit things to one's self, let alone others Martin.
 
I am prejudice against Birmingham fans. I am also 'prejudice' if I am out on my own on an evening and I see a group of young people coming towards me. I always become more aware.

Re Trekker points/others: I am not sure I would class these as prejudices. I think they are more feelings. Somewhere along the lines of PC jobsworth and human rights we have lost the right of being able to feel uneasy and dislike for certain things and to admit to them makes us prejudice/homaphopbic/racist or whatever which isn't always the case
 
By definition we all have prejudices. I am prejudiced in favour of my own family over others, for example. So prejudice is in itself often neither good nor bad.
Bigotry is another matter.
 
HeathfieldRoad1874 - 8/7/2013 02:08

iPhone users tend to be a bit weird. I'm prejudiced against them.

Luckily, Apple seems to be going Bebo. I think most iPhone users are switching to better phones now. It won't be long before everyone sees Steve Jobs for what he was.
 
BodyButter - 7/7/2013 17:23

HeathfieldRoad1874 - 8/7/2013 02:08

iPhone users tend to be a bit weird. I'm prejudiced against them.

Luckily, Apple seems to be going Bebo. I think most iPhone users are switching to better phones now. It won't be long before everyone sees Steve Jobs for what he was.

His life story is being made into a Film, with Ashton Kucher starring. It will be interesting to see how true to life it will be. I bet it's toned down a bit.