Prejudice: A Pernicious Human Trait

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Ever since our ancestors first began to diverge on the evolutionary tree there has been prejudice along with fear or hatred of those who are different, both of the aforementioned feelings are the flu of beliefs, as both hatred of dissimilar and the prejudice that comes with it can greatly harm people when it goes unchecked for too long. It’s one of humankind’s greatest accomplishments, considering that it never leaves, and that it is always seeming to ruin everything. Many works have tried to encapsulate what prejudice is or what it feels like, be it fact or fiction, though few really get the sensation across in the way that actually experiencing it does. Despite the fact that some select groups get it easier than others, namely white straight …show more content…

Another work which displayed prejudice is the nonfictional essay entitled, “Black Men and Public Spaces” by Brent Staples. This essay tells the reader of the author’s own persecution, which is the result of people’s fear of him due to his skin tone. One final example of the aforementioned prejudicial nature of people is George Orwell’s 1936 essay, “Shooting an Elephant”. Orwell paints a picture of an imperialistic empire like England abusing the people of India, as well as the the people of Burma, current day Myanmar, mistreating him. Being treated poorly will lead to some attempt to fall in line with everyone else, or appease others. The simple reasoning behind this course of action is that one could be unfairly punished for their inability to fit in. In fact, people in power may very well become violent to those who’re unfamiliar to how they themselves are. Unjust behavior can be the result of any number of things, the most common reasons being either one’s ethnicity, or one’s social

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