Spaceman Wrote: I have always seemed to ask myself this question, but I have always wondered why. Why is it that humans judge others based off of looks rather than judging them by who they truly are as an intellectual? It baffles me as to how people can do it, rather than getting to know someone and then judging them. I myself am judged based solely off of my looks by many, and it disgusts me. Everyone is so quick to judge, yet, won't take the time to get to learn about how someone truly is by actually talking to them.
I'm sure it is a natural human instinct for survival, but in today's day in age, we don't need to worry about the survival of ourselves by the way people look, we're much more advanced now than we ever were before. So tell me, why is it that humans do this?
It's a combination of ignorant prejudice and existing facts that are sadly intertwined together giving a muddy result.
Allow me to explain: With every race, ethnicity, sex, weight, and every other characteristic possibly conceivable, there is a certain way people will view the human being. This is either due to past experience with a certain large group of individuals who matched the characteristic, or with the overall actions that a majority of people within the group of characteristics commit.
Here's an example: I'm Hispanic. If you looked at the rates of which Hispanics/Latinos commit crimes, statistically speaking you should be afraid of me. But I as an INDIVIDUAL do not follow such statistics. So why is it I must face people and their assumptions? Because when a certain amount of people with a certain characteristic do the same thing over and over again, it becomes less about being racist and sexist, and more about just accepting the facts.
So what must be done? First, the individuals within these groups have to realize what the stereotypes are. Instead of complaining saying, "Oh that's not fair, I'm not like that you racist ect." they have to live individually for themselves. There will then come a point where the stereotype will disappear and to treat someone a certain way will be based on the individual actions and thoughts he/she has, not the characteristics he holds.
