Spring Break
Appearances are always deceiving
Jeff Sullivan
Issue date: 10/24/08 Section: Editorial/Opinion
10/24/08 - Everyone knows the old maxim, "never judge a book by its cover," but how many can honestly say they put this advice into practice?
There is not a single person on the face of the planet that hasn't been guilty of prejudice at some time or another, for one reason: the stereotype has proven to be true more than once. We try to be politically correct, but often rely on drastic experiences we've had to decide on what an appropriate response should be.
We don't do this for other, non-human aspects of our lives. For instance, if a dog viciously bit you, you're not going to be afraid of dogs the rest of your life, or, probably now more than ever, you don't assume the tap water you drink is always safe just because you haven't gotten sick from it before.
It just doesn't make sense to generalize such complex and ever-changing aspects of life, and yet we instinctually do it. We can even be guilty of doing it to ourselves, like if we mess up an important event in our lives: a test, a date, a job interview or whatever, and our entire self-esteem spirals downward. We feel we are generally worth less because of a singular experience, or several concerning the same topic.
But why? Why must we constantly and permanently generalize and objectify other people and strangers in our lives?
Rorschach inkblot tests and optical illusions have led us to believe that our brains do this generalization automatically. When the brain sees something it does not immediately recognize, it will "fill in the blanks" with readily available information.
For instance, if you see something out of the corner of your eye late at night when you're alone and vulnerable walking in an alley or other uninviting setting, you immediately think you see a mugger or other threat, because that's what you are afraid of seeing.
You expect to see it, so your brain registers anything you see as the very thing you fear. When it comes down to it, the brain is designed to overestimate a threat, because it is the logical thing to do. Better safe than sorry, right?
There is not a single person on the face of the planet that hasn't been guilty of prejudice at some time or another, for one reason: the stereotype has proven to be true more than once. We try to be politically correct, but often rely on drastic experiences we've had to decide on what an appropriate response should be.
We don't do this for other, non-human aspects of our lives. For instance, if a dog viciously bit you, you're not going to be afraid of dogs the rest of your life, or, probably now more than ever, you don't assume the tap water you drink is always safe just because you haven't gotten sick from it before.
It just doesn't make sense to generalize such complex and ever-changing aspects of life, and yet we instinctually do it. We can even be guilty of doing it to ourselves, like if we mess up an important event in our lives: a test, a date, a job interview or whatever, and our entire self-esteem spirals downward. We feel we are generally worth less because of a singular experience, or several concerning the same topic.
But why? Why must we constantly and permanently generalize and objectify other people and strangers in our lives?
Rorschach inkblot tests and optical illusions have led us to believe that our brains do this generalization automatically. When the brain sees something it does not immediately recognize, it will "fill in the blanks" with readily available information.
For instance, if you see something out of the corner of your eye late at night when you're alone and vulnerable walking in an alley or other uninviting setting, you immediately think you see a mugger or other threat, because that's what you are afraid of seeing.
You expect to see it, so your brain registers anything you see as the very thing you fear. When it comes down to it, the brain is designed to overestimate a threat, because it is the logical thing to do. Better safe than sorry, right?
