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Jan. 27, 2005 We see it everyday: People making superficial judgements of people that they have never met. We all do it, it's almost like a reaction to someone. The moment we meet someone new we begin to judge them. It can be about politicians, celebrities, or simple strangers that we see in our everyday lives. That includes me, you, and everyone you have ever known. But why? Why are we so quick to judge people that we do not know, and may very well never know? I see people judge all SUV drivers to be "lazy, inconsiderate, soccer-moms who can barely see over the steering wheel." We all know that that is not the case. Sure, SUV's are awful for the environment, failed the crash test, and really have no more space inside them than a Toyota Matrix (true, in fact), but that doesn't make their drivers such bad people. It seems like people rush to judge others. On the other hand, many people describe anti-war protesters as unpatriotic, or anti-American. They often cite Michael Moore as a specific example and say that he is hurting the country. I recall one article in my school newspaper where one student did exactly that, entitling his story "Fahrenlies 9/11." He went on to describe how awful the movie was and how it was such a disgrace and was hurting America. He had never even seen the movie. Both liberals and conservatives do it, both religious and secular members of our society judge others as uppity and superior [liberals/conservatives/atheists/fundamentalists] without thinking for a moment that they might be the exact same way. We all contradict ourselves, we all judge others depending on how much they agree with us, etc. Say that you're liberal and you read something that's conservative. Are you ACTUALLY going to keep an open mind about what you're reading? Nope. You're probably looking for holes in their argument that you can exploit. We all do. I'm not going to say that there's nothing to be ashamed of with that, because there is. Liberals who accuse conservatives of being narrow-minded refuse to change their opinion or even listen to another person when their views are challenged, as do conservatives. Neither side is perfect, neither side is inherently evil, (nor is believing a certain way a mental disease, for those more 'frank' members of the media) and it's important to keep that in mind whenever dealing with people. ------------ About the author: Jack Lepiarz is a Junior at Madison High School in Madison, New Jersey. Now 16 years old, he has been writing avidly for the past 5 years and has a completed novel (but unpublished), Spencer. He currently trades between two houses in his town, spending time living with both of his divorced parents. Email: Jackwuzhere42@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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