What's Wrong With Racism?

[LuisDantas]

Thoughts? Opinions?

I'm racist. It's not something I choose to be. When I see a black person in public, I do my best to avoid them. Of course it's not fair, but why should I care? My dislike of black people hurts nobody.

Because you are wrong. It actually hurts everyone.

Human beings do not have the luxury of disregarding each other with no consequences. It is not a possibility, due to our social and cognitive natures.

 

[Jumi]

Racism is good for bonding with other bigots. That's about it.

 

[bobhikes]

Thoughts? Opinions?

I'm racist. It's not something I choose to be. When I see a black person in public, I do my best to avoid them. Of course it's not fair, but why should I care? My dislike of black people hurts nobody.

As long as you aren't required to make a fair decision about a black person that will effect them and you don't spread you dislike to others that will have to make a fair decision about a black person, there is no problem. You have already posted your sickness online encouraging others that you have no idea what they will do with that encouragement. You need to become a hermit or monk and all will be good in the world.

 

[Digital_Monk]

I'm racist. Period. I don't go out of my way to spread hate towards other races, but I stay away from them if at all possible. I don't care if others think it's wrong or not.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

If you want to hold onto irrational biases, that's your business. You are only harming yourself. However, if you try to spread your prejudice to others, then you are spreading the harm you do to yourself to others minds, which can then escalate to actual harm to those who are the target of the prejudice via group egregore/tribalism. Be mindful of what your contribute to the tribal egregore.

I agree with @crossfire here, and I am glad to see several other posters put up similar lines of thought.

It's really not about you, but about how you effect others around you.
Racism from the get go is simply and undeniably wrong. To blanket a vast number of people with your (usually negative) preconceptions, based upon nothing more than the pitiful small n-value sample size of the few you have interacted with, is moronically childish and wrong.
If you cling to your delusion and keep it to yourself, then you will only hurt yourself by missing many opportunities in many aspects of life, all the way from love, to money.
But unfortunately we can almost never avoid spreading our hateful delusions to others around us. You will form a group of like-minded delusional people around you. I'm not saying you will open a chapter of the KKK, but rather I speak of the people that you will form friendships with (of course only those filtered through your racism), the person you choose as a spouse, and your children. Some will be drawn in, but sadder yet are those you convince, and these may be your own or even other people's children.
As a group, you will reinforce each other and make your racist delusion seem like well reasoned thought, with each member bringing their pitiful few horror story examples as more evidence of your righteousness.
It is the self-supporting (self-deluding) self-righteous group that (when large enough) can bring about the horrors depicted in @Quagmire's post #9, or even start the self-fulfilling cyclical racism, by spreading out into society, with the resulting years and generations of lost opportunities for people of your blanketed 'underclass'.

Or​

Or you can get real, and educate yourself @The Ardent Atheist. You can realize that all humans are just humans. Each is as capable of terrible evil and self-serving, as they are of kindness and brilliance. It is the actions of the individual that you can judge, rather than taking the lazy and foolish route of mass judgements. I have known blacks who were smart, wonderful personalities, doctors, artists, and scientists, and I have had black punks in my face itching for a fight. But I can say all those things about Native Americans; and whites; and latinos; and south east Asians; and Indians. (Actually , I've never met an Indian "itching for a fight" ).
Regardless, you won't (as you already haven't) be able to keep it to yourself. You will affect others directly or indirectly. And your deluding yourself to boot.
Now don't run out and give the pusher on the corner a big hug and sloppy kiss, but don't give the smiling black 4-year old, or your black doctor a dirty look either.


wow [\rant]

 

[Revoltingest]

Thoughts? Opinions?

I'm racist. It's not something I choose to be. When I see a black person in public, I do my best to avoid them. Of course it's not fair, but why should I care? My dislike of black people hurts nobody.

From what you said, it causes you personal discomfort.
It's good for our health to avoid such stress.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

Eurgh, what's that awful stench?

I guess it's just the massive pile of BS emanating from the claim that white people are a tribe. Look at this map:

Spoiler

Germanic tribes in the Migration Period. Do you see one marked "white"? And if you dial back the clock a few centuries, an imperial Roman would consider any Germanic person to be as foreign as an African or Arab, and likely much more savage. Or imagine telling Queen Boudicca that she's the same "race" as the Romans - it might not go well if you value your limbs.

I didn't call white people a tribe.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

A lot of people are reading into my words things I haven't said.

All I'm saying is that I don't believe in giving a stranger who happens to be black the benefit of doubt. I know that racism is wrong; as a biracial person, I've experienced it and it's unpleasant.

Still, almost every encounter with black people has been negative. Yes, I have a few black friends, yes, they know this about me, and yes, they don't care. If fact, two of them feel the same towards whites.

You people are getting extremely judgmental and self-righteous. Maybe you guys live in neighborhoods where it's easy to think the way you do.

 

[Sunstone]

A lot of people are reading into my words things I haven't said.

I dislike that myself when it happens to me, but you can help by pointing out exactly how it's being done. Many such things are innocent mistakes.

 

[vaguelyhumanoid]

I didn't call white people a tribe.

Then how does humans being tribal excuse racism?

 

[bobhikes]

A lot of people are reading into my words things I haven't said.

All I'm saying is that I don't believe in giving a stranger who happens to be black the benefit of doubt. I know that racism is wrong; as a biracial person, I've experienced it and it's unpleasant.

Still, almost every encounter with black people has been negative. Yes, I have a few black friends, yes, they know this about me, and yes, they don't care. If fact, two of them feel the same towards whites.

You people are getting extremely judgmental and self-righteous. Maybe you guys live in neighborhoods where it's easy to think the way you do.

You asked for thoughts and opinions IE judgements. Seems to me you shouldn't have asked. We didn't ask to be judged by you.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

You asked for thoughts and opinions IE judgements. Seems to me you shouldn't have asked. We didn't ask to be judged by you.

I asked for thoughts and opinions on what I said.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

Then how does humans being tribal excuse racism?

All I said was that people (and other primates) are tribal. I never said it excuses racism.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

A lot of people are reading into my words things I haven't said.

All I'm saying is that I don't believe in giving a stranger who happens to be black the benefit of doubt. I know that racism is wrong; as a biracial person, I've experienced it and it's unpleasant.

Still, almost every encounter with black people has been negative. Yes, I have a few black friends, yes, they know this about me, and yes, they don't care. If fact, two of them feel the same towards whites.

You people are getting extremely judgmental and self-righteous. Maybe you guys live in neighborhoods where it's easy to think the way you do.

Hmmm.... Once burned, twice shy?
I'm not sure that is what I would refer to as "racist".
Do you believe that black people can be as or more intelligent than you?
That they can be more calm and in control, and/or more 'honorable' than you?
That they can be more meek and/or peaceful than you?

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

Hmmm.... Once burned, twice shy?
I'm not sure that is what I would refer to as "racist".
Do you believe that black people can be as or more intelligent than you?
That they can be more calm and in control, and/or more 'honorable' than you?
That they can be more meek and/or peaceful than you?

Sure. I just don't trust them unless I know them better.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

Sure. I just don't trust them unless I know them better.

Do you automatically trust white guys without knowing them?
Perhaps you are respectful of your elders. Do you believe everything an older man tells you?
What about middle-aged South American women?
If you're an average young man, then you likely do trust whatever an attractive young woman tells you.....but that's just normal.

Not trusting people you don't know is a simple survival trait, just like goslings running from hawk silhouettes flown over their coup. But fly enough silhouettes (without violent death from the skies) and they eventually get used to the hawk shape.
I don't think your minor distrust of a few black people warrants the name 'racist'. I'm assuming here that you are relatively young. As you encounter more people of different genetic backgrounds, and befriend them, you likely will broaden your tolerances along with your mind.

 

[buddhist]

There's "healthy racism" and "unhealthy racism". Which are you speaking of, OP, @The Ardent Atheist?

1. Regarding "healthy racism". Nothing is inherently wrong with this kind of "racism" when we realize it is simply another form of "classification based on observation and experience" - exactly what science does on a daily basis.

If you repeatedly and personally observe certain behaviors - whether negative or positive - from a majority of members of any specific group (whatever that group may be), or hear about those behaviors from others, then your mind naturally and expectedly forms future expectations regarding others in that group. It is logical, rational, sane, and healthy to listen to that personal experience. Just don't expect others to have the same expectations as you do regarding that specific group, as they may have different experiences with that group in their lifetime, and are following their expectations accordingly.

For example, if I've personally encountered 7 pit bulls in my life, had negative experiences with 6 of them, and I avoid them in the future, then that is "healthy 'racism'". Or, if I had positive experiences with 6 of them, and I don't avoid approaching them in the future, then that is also "healthy".

Science also (supposedly) works in the same way. Taxonomists, for example, classify the behavior of animals in this way, grouping them according to shared traits (breeds, etc.). Microbiologists classify the behavior and actions of viruses and bacteria in the same way.

2. Regarding "unhealthy racism". This happens when someone tries to go against what they have personally learned about specific groups.

For example, if I've personally encountered 7 pit bulls in my life, had negative experiences with 6 of them, but I ignore that experience because of ideology, and continue to approach them in the future, then that is "bad 'racism'". Or, if I had positive experiences with 6 of them, but I ignore that experience because of ideology, and avoid them in the future, then that is also "unhealthy 'racism'". It is illogical, irrational, insane, and unhealthy to ignore personal experience in such a way.

If scientists observe that most strains of Mycobacterium leprae leads to leprosy, but instead classifies it as benign due to some ideology, us who are healthy and sane would consider those scientists and their behavior "unhealthy" and insane.

In summary, cautious, "healthy racism" should be embraced, and occurs when one is acting in accordance with one's personal experience (while still operating under the knowledge that individuals may prove to be different from their expected group, and those exceptions - categorized after knowledge from personal experience - should be treated accordingly). "Unhealthy racism" should be rejected, and occurs when one is acting against one's personal experience (or when exceptions are not treated accordingly).

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

i don't get how people can talk like racism is something that everyone just has. The fear of put bulls because of a negative experience is not the same as fearing an entire subgroup of people. Essentially you're delegating an entire group into being incapable of rational thought, incapable of feeling, incapable of wanting he same thing as you because of a belief or superiority. It's also interesting the assumption that a social construct such as racism would simply be an internal and not expressed externally. Very few people if any are capable of feelings or beliefs, a fear, or contempt without allowing it to be pushed into a more outward agenda. Those people encourage policies and laws based around those beliefs. They vote for laws and policies based on those beliefs.

 

[Iti oj]

Thoughts? Opinions?

I'm racist. It's not something I choose to be. When I see a black person in public, I do my best to avoid them. Of course it's not fair, but why should I care? My dislike of black people hurts nobody.

It could if you were in a position of power or influence. Ie, manager, teacher, politician or parent as examples.
Also beliefs are not insular. Do you vote?

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

Do you automatically trust white guys without knowing them?
Perhaps you are respectful of your elders. Do you believe everything an older man tells you?
What about middle-aged South American women?
If you're an average young man, then you likely do trust whatever an attractive young woman tells you.....but that's just normal.

Not trusting people you don't know is a simple survival trait, just like goslings running from hawk silhouettes flown over their coup. But fly enough silhouettes (without violent death from the skies) and they eventually get used to the hawk shape.
I don't think your minor distrust of a few black people warrants the name 'racist'. I'm assuming here that you are relatively young. As you encounter more people of different genetic backgrounds, and befriend them, you likely will broaden your tolerances along with your mind.

I don't trust women either, lol. Since I have a girlfriend, I have no reason to play nice for the chance of p_ssy like 99% of guys do.