Why are some people racist/sexist?

[CatLover]

My apologies if this shouldn't be posted here, but I really would like to know why. What are your opinions on this? So many people are racist, just because someone is minority or their skin is a little darker. And then, even more people are sexist, women are frowned upon when they run for something (I.E. President, Governess, etc. etc.), and in some places it's considered wrong for a man to be a teacher, or to be a secretary/nurse. My opinion? These are wrong. No one gets to choose what they are at birth, therefore they shouldn't be punished for it. Even if they could choose, they still shouldn't be punished. What are your opinions, and why?

[Vampyre]

The sexism thing is just tradition. It's traditional for men to work in factories, and women as secretaries. No clue how it came about, but it's been around for centuries. The racism thing I have no clue. Sometimes people have reasons, and sometimes don't. I'm kinda racist against natives, but not too much. I'm moreover blunt about them. But that's because I was attacked by 5 of them for no reason and I've only met one native that was actually cool, didn't smoke (tobacco or otherwise), and didn't drink. Plus they milk their native benefits a lot. But I have my own idea about that, so meh. Also I work around lots of natives, particularly older ones. And they never seem to actually be relaxed. So, yeah, I don't mean to be completely racist against natives, just slightly more blunt with them. So don't take me for being some big racist guy or something. I've just had a prejudice since the assailing mob thing happened, and I think I gained a right to be a bit more blunt to them from that. And it's not like I'd go out and be like "Oh that damn spear chucker, someone ought to shoot him!" I'd just be more hesitant to talking to a random native, than someone else.

[CatLover]

Well that isn't as big a deal; that's different. What I mean is, seeing a Native American and not wanting to stand by them because they arent 100% American. Or not even wanting to look at them for that matter.

[Vampyre]

I dunno. Maybe someone getting into a case like mine and being less understanding. That could cause it.

[Mystical_Journey]

We all have a sense of racism from the perspective of difference (and in some cases the idea is breed into us from birth).

[Alric]

The reason why people are racist is because they believe in something, which appears to be true. If you really think about it, many things a racist person says, might be true. Atleast when talking about a general group of people. The problem comes when they assume all people from that group are the same, when they are not. Or assuming something is genetic when it may be environmental. Being a little racist in itself isn't that bad. As long as your willing to give someone a chance before you judge them. Its when you assume stuff before you even talk to them, that causes problems.

[Mystical_Journey]

Perfectly said Alric I couldnt have verbalised my ideas that well, i totally agree with what you said.

[Universal Mind]

I saw a really fascinating documentary on the Discovery Channel in the late 90's. It was about packs off apes (which I truly believe humans evolved from) in the jungle. They travel in packs because it is instinct, and instinct based on the need for safety in numbers. A further result of that need for safety is the tendency of one pack of apes to absolutely freak out when they come across other packs because they are "them" and might be a threat. I think that primitive jungle tendency still exists in the human population. The "us" and "them" mentality pervades a lot of our collective psyche. If you get attacked by a pack of German Shepherds, you might absolutely despise German Shepherds after that. We associate one enemy with the rest of his or her "kind." It is primitive thinking, but it is very real. Thus, a white person might come across some group black behavior and form a negative opinion about the entire race, or a black person will learn about slavery and associate it with the entire white race. It is a member of one percieved pack hating another pack he has come across. That is why some racists bitch about an individual they know nothing about and judge him while throwing out the term "his/her people." Every time I hear that incredibly ignorant term, my question is, "How are they 'his/her people?'" The response is always that the person has whatever color skin. Then my response is, "Oh, they are 'his/her people' because they have the same skin color? Well, you have their skeletal structure. Does that make them 'your people?'" Skin color is one human characteristic among zillions. Other than hair structure, gender, and maybe average sizes of noses and miniscule differences like that, humans have everything in common. Also, we are all individuals. Races are not teams. Racism will end when a large enough portion of the world understands that we are all individuals. (Start music: "We Are the World")

[Rakkantekimusouka]

Originally posted by Universal Mind (Start music: \"We Are the World\") Oh god! /me throws a brick at the record player Anyway, in addition to what's already been outlined, I also believe there's an aspect of a fear of the unknown, a fear of what is different. Fear and...hurt...are beneath anger and hostility always. It's pretty simply, actually.

[voidofform]

ignorance, insecurity, xenophobia and greed. and fear and hatred of others with the above. isn't humanity charming?

[syzygy]

Originally posted by CatLover Well that isn't as big a deal; that's different. What I mean is, seeing a Native American and not wanting to stand by them because they arent 100% American. Or not even wanting to look at them for that matter. Hahaha!!! A native american isn't 100% american, that's a good one.

[CatLover]

lol well that's what people tell me It's incredibly ingenious... apparently sarcasm doesn't get through text very well

[Alric]

Originally posted by voidofform ignorance, insecurity, xenophobia and greed. and fear and hatred of others with the above. isn't humanity charming? A lot of the time its none of that. What if you walk down the street and you see some guy and you stop to talk to him. After a minute you find out hes a moron. So you keep walking and you see another person, and they are a moron too. 6 people later, you walk into another person and you think "bah I don't want to talk to this person, everyone in this town is a moron", well it turns out they where also a moron. Now are you xenophobic or greedy because you think everyone in the town is stupid? Not really. Is their fear or hatred? No. Do you have some insecurity? Again the answer is no. Now a week later you meet someone who grew up in that town. Instead of talking to him you walk away and assume he is stupid like everyone else. You would be racist, but you might think you have a valid reason. Everyone in that town was an idiot, so he must have been one too. You really should give the person a chance though, he might have been really smart. And if he was stupid like everyone else, you could call him a moron based on his own actions, and not on that of others. Atleast that way you are fair.

[justme]

I think I might just be wantign to feel above someone else no matter what they do, a womans rights protester once said "The stupidest of man who walk into the poll thinks hes better than the smartest of woman" or I think it might just be because they grow up that way, this might be evil, but back in the days of slaves, I whoundn't really be calling the slave holders evil, Im agianst slavery yes, but thats what there way of life was they were brought up that way, so it's like they don't know any better. That might sound crazy to you now but think about now, like animals we keep them in cages and as our pets what if in the furture and they look back at us zebra: That was just horriod! Those awful AWFUL people! Human: I totally agree I'm glad they all fot whipped out by that aids disease Hey it chould happen?

[Mystical_Journey]

A lighter note : http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/

[AirRick101]

It's pride, and also our history. Early Americans saw themselves as superior, especially to the natives and Africans. They're pride in their conquest gave them what they felt was a permit to proclaim superiority. It's also each race's reputation and stereotypes. I don't mean to cause offense, but every race has some. If you grew up with your own kind of race, relating with interracial people would be more difficult and awkward, though eye-opening. Oh, and another thing, it's natural to some extent. Some choose to harbor it, some choose to break it down.

[Merck]

I think people are sexist because women are just mad that men are better than they are.

[Placebo]

Originally posted by Merck I think people are sexist because women are just mad that men are better than they are. Exactly. Well, actually I also think that men and women are equal. It's just that men are more equal than women.

[A Lost Soul]

Originally posted by AirRick101+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AirRick101)</div> It's pride, and also our history. Early Americans saw themselves as superior, especially to the natives and Africans. They're pride in their conquest gave them what they felt was a permit to proclaim superiority. [/b] This is why Americans left Europe ages ago. Because they didn't like how things were being run and they felt they were superior to everyone else. This is also why so many countries hate us as a whole. The general perception of our patriotic attitude is taken as arrogance. <!--QuoteBegin-Merck I think people are sexist because women are just mad that men are better than they are. Oh really? I’d like to see you pop a life out of your body all on your own. And I’m not talking about rubbing one off and claiming your little soldiers are lives… That’s why there's diversity. We work TOGETHER to create something. Working together… hm. Imagine that? I wish the whole world could figure that out. ‘Isms are just stupid. Seriously. Who gives a damn what color you are or who you like to tickle behind closed doors. If you’re a moron, you’re a moron. It has nothing to do with physical characteristics. True the majority of [insert race here] may be assholes (as my experience has found to be true in El Paso…) but that doesn’t mean that every person of that race that you come across is going to be a total homeslice. Assholiness and skin color isn’t a package deal. I won’t lie… I love and appreciate people of all colors, but I’m not the next Buddha. Sometimes it’s very hard not to judge someone based on the color of their skin, especially if the previous experiences you’ve had with that particular race have been negative ones.

[AirRick101]

It' s a mind game. I aim to be non-racist, but my interaction with different races are sometimes awkward and tense. I'm just glad I don't really hate my own, because I pretty much didn't grow up with remember verbal abuse about my race, I was in a protected environment. But later on, my "skin", with its chance to grow, wasn't too affected by Asian slurs later on. Yeah, in case nobody knew, that's what I am! Universal Mind has some point. In a way, we were born racist. Not in a violent way, but having a cautious differentiation with different "tribes" or different people. I don't care how humanitarian you are, but you can't honestly see everyone the exact same way. Usually, you will favor your own race, unless they do horrible crap to you.

[CatLover]

Originally posted by Merck I think people are sexist because women are just mad that men are better than they are. .... I won't comment.

[Universal Mind]

The United States was founded on freedom. Unfortunately, a lot of the early U.S. citizens didn't quite get that concept.

[Alric]

I don't really think anyone is born racist. Personally I couldn't care less what someone is.

[Joseph_Stalin]

A lot of racist behavior stems from not having positive racial experiences in your childhood. If you live somewhere that contains diverse and ample amounts of people of different races, you're bound to have some impactful events, whether good or bad. Sometimes you hear a person say, "Well at least there not as bad as those people", or something of the nature, and this is usually backed up with, "I actually knew a lot of (Chinese, Spanish, etc.), and they were really friendly and generous". Once again, there's a lot happening to someone if they can prefer one racial group out of others (excluding their own). Like a few users said before, it's really dependant on first impressions. If I live in a white-dominant community and I move to say, New York or Chicago, and the first black person I meet threatens to stab me, It's going to have a negative effect. And really, a lot of those "rednecks" people like to refer to with such contempt (or really just the "sterotypical southern racist"), don't actually grow up with many tangible racial influences (such as people), but are instead fed their experiences and beliefs through media and common talk, most of which are very biased. As for sexism, that's more of a cultural and social thing. The stay-at-home mom who was trained just for that purpose may intentionally or unintentionally shape her daughter into what she is. There's a small chance that a maternal thing is involved with this, but I doubt it's to such a large degree.

[justme]

Originally posted by Merck I think people are sexist because women are just mad that men are better than they are. I think it demends more n the person, except men are more natually stronger and woman gain common sense faster than men(face it pretty much all of those american funniest home videos have boys doing stupid things(have u seen the one where a boy lights the hoocey punk on fire and there playing with it and it light the goalie up!) lol), but for pretty much everything else it does just dempend on wo u r (or how much education u recive) like some ppl say men are better at sense of diriction but i know a girl who rembersdlike everything on streets, and i whould think only young kids whould say stuff like that or "men go to collage to get more knowledge woman go to jupiter to get more stupider" or visversa (u got to be petty smart to find a way to get to jupiter) lol.