Journal+5-+Prejudice

1. Why do people tend to make fun of those who are in some way different? Do you believe this tendency is stronger in adults or children? Why? I think that kids tend to be the most vicious in their middle school ages, when they're trying to figure out who they are and are very insecure. Picking on other kids who don't fit in is their way of making themselves feel better. In adults, people tend to be more mature about it and maybe instead of outright making fun of someone, they just make judgements and stereotypes, which isn't good either but it doesn't hurt peoples feelings. Kids tend to make fun of things they don't understand or something that is not a part of their daily life, just because its different. 2. Imagine which kind of insult would provoke you the most. An insult about... Explain which insult is most offensive to you and why. I really don't care what other people think of me. An insult on clothing would just mean we don't share the same style. I really don't think stranger's opinions of me really matter. People that I know and more importantly people that I know well are whose opinions I value the most, and even then, I don't care what people think of my clothing. And when people insult my height or appearance, well, why get upset about what I can't change? People can insult my beliefs if they want, and it would tick me off, but I know that not everyone believes the same thing, and my beliefs are pretty strong so I know that there will be people that disagree with me. While I think I have good character, people can judge my actions if they want, because no matter what I do I can't make everyone happy. I think I'd be kind of upset if someone insulted my family, because they're the people I live with and the people I care about the most, and to bash one of my family members is a big insult. I think it really depends on what they're saying about my family as to how upset I would get. 3. Give examples of prejudice (this can be a list). What are the most common types in your community? Your school? Explain why prejudice is destructive, perhaps citing specific examples you've heard of or witnessed. Have you ever experienced any sort of prejudice? -Racism -Religionism -Regionalism -Social Cliques
 * your appearance or dress
 * your character or actions
 * a friend or family member
 * your beliefs

Prejudice is destructive because stereotypes can be so wrong, and as I've learned, friends can be found in ways you've never thought possible. While most of my closest friends were found in typical ways, there were some people that I judged prior to meeting and they turned out to be alot different than I saw them as. One of my closest friends that I can tell almost anything to is definitely not the person I thought they were when I first met them. If I would've been close-minded and prevented myself from opening up to these people, I don't think I'd be as happy as I am today.