Are you bigoted?

had this conversation with a mate the other day................(this is what happens during the close season when the adverts are on :( ) and he asked if i was bigoted, raist, homophobic or anything of that sort. My immediate reaction was that i'm not but when i really thought about it I guess I actually am in some aspects. What about you if you are trully honest with yourself, do you judge people before knowing them based upon a particular characteristic or suchlike they have? Our conclusion was that nearly everyone is in some way or another. :huh:

nope. some of my best friends are black....

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own.

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I'm definitely not bigoted.

I think what you describe, Zero, isn't being a bigot.

prejudiced?

Sadly I think a lot of white people are thretened when they are younger. If you dont behave the big black man will come and get you'. I dont know if the reverse happens in the coloured communities.

I also think if that most people are wary of anyone different from them in any way shape or form. Its nature. I dont think any of this makes you bigoted however.

I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions.:(

Personally I support both black and white.:cool:

I hate you all equally.

Because of his alleged lack of height. If you dont like Busyman are you weeoted?:unsure:

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Originally Posted by manker

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own.

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I'm definitely not bigoted.

I think what you describe, Zero, isn't being a bigot.

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as usual :rolleyes: you are correct I, given that defenition, have mis-used the term as gep rankins suggests perhaps prejudiced would be a better choice. Hopefully you get the just of my point all the same. Oh and btw I am now prejudiced against people who continually correct grammer ;) oh and cheese too just saw his post :schnauz:

i think the way to not being prejudiced is to admit you are.

too many people are quick to crucify you for saying something remotely racist. i reckon these people even guilt trip themselves whenever they even recognise a difference between them and another person and never open themselves up to investigate why they think anything.

the first "black" person i ever met was at highschool, at first i thought "OMGBBQ! a black person!?" after a few weeks we were ok mates and i never even thought of him as a "black person" anymore. i don't really think of anyone by their race anymore, because i've grown used to them.

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Originally Posted by bigboab

Sadly I think a lot of white people are thretened when they are younger. If you dont behave the big black man will come and get you'. I dont know if the reverse happens in the coloured communities.

I also think if that most people are wary of anyone different from them in any way shape or form. Its nature. I dont think any of this makes you bigoted however.

I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions.:(

Personally I support both black and white.:cool:

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I reckon I haven't explained myself very well :( , srry, what i am getting at is all sorts of things not just racial. Religion, sexual preference, nationality, colour of skin etc etc I suppose even what team you support... just something that means you prejudge someone ...................note to self:never try and sound like you have a clue, perhaps this explains why i don't start a lot of threads:frusty: :P

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Originally Posted by (>Zero Cool<)

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Originally Posted by bigboab

Sadly I think a lot of white people are thretened when they are younger. If you dont behave the big black man will come and get you'. I dont know if the reverse happens in the coloured communities.

I also think if that most people are wary of anyone different from them in any way shape or form. Its nature. I dont think any of this makes you bigoted however.

I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions.:(

Personally I support both black and white.:cool:

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I reckon I haven't explained myself very well :( , srry, what i am getting at is all sorts of things not just racial. Religion, sexual preference, nationality, colour of skin etc etc.

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I'll excuse you this time. :)Maybe your asteroids are playing up. You can get cream for them.:cry:

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Originally Posted by bigboab

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Originally Posted by (>Zero Cool<)

I reckon I haven't explained myself very well :( , srry, what i am getting at is all sorts of things not just racial. Religion, sexual preference, nationality, colour of skin etc etc.

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I'll excuse you this time. :)Maybe your asteroids are playing up. You can get cream for them.:cry:

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:frusty: :lol:

Xenophobia is a perfectly natural thing.

You are only an arse if you act upon it, ie if you discriminate or otherwise treat people badly because of their gender, the colour of their skin or something else that really doesn't tell you who they are.

Anyone who calls you a bigot, racist, or whatever, purely because you initially think of/react to others in a certain way can go f*** themselves. Some things that we find alien/different/odd will inevitably be percieved as scary, there's a reason for that.

Xenophobia is just one aspect of our survival instinct, it's just like whatever psychological mechanism we have that keeps us from trying to pick up snakes or to pet tigers, for instance.

You can't trust everyone and all that. And the more different from you they are, the harder they are to read, and the more careful you'll be. It's instinct, and sometimes very useful. Our psyches just work this way, partly it's a remnant of how we were in harsher times, but it's still useful, as all of us can't be trusted.

They say that when infants (and possibly adults as well) smell something (truly) unfamiliar, it'll automatically smell bad, this is just an aspect of the same thing.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

Xenophobia is a perfectly natural thing.

You are only an arse if you act upon it, ie if you discriminate or otherwise treat people badly because of their gender, the colour of their skin or something else that really doesn't tell you who they are.

Anyone who calls you a bigot, racist, or whatever, purely because you initially think of/react to others in a certain way can go f*** themselves. Some things that we find alien/different/odd will inevitably be percieved as scary, there's a reason for that.

Xenophobia is just one aspect of our survival instinct, it's just like whatever psychological mechanism we have that keeps us from trying to pick up snakes or to pet tigers, for instance.

You can't trust everyone and all that. And the more different from you they are, the harder they are to read, and the more careful you'll be. It's instinct, and sometimes very useful. Our psyches just work this way, partly it's a remnant of how we were in harsher times, but it's still useful, as all of us can't be trusted.

They say that when infants (and possibly adults as well) smell something (truly) unfamiliar, it'll automatically smell bad, this is just an aspect of the same thing.

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I would read your reply but your avatar just f*cked up my vision :pinch:

:01:

I make a prejudment about certain people until they prove me wrong.

Usually they don't. However, I treat everyone the same.

I could never say anything bad about certain upstanding folk.

im a big victim of prejudice, while im in school i hate when people call me mexican just cause im hispanic or when they ask you if you speak mexican, man it irritates me when they do that. personally im not prejudice, back in my country my best friend is black and he is like a brother to me

well, do you speak mexican?

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Originally Posted by bigboab

I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions.:(
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Trite and predictable. You may use the argument that it has helped to keep sectarianism alive, but to say that it created bigotry is nonsense.

There are denominational schools in loads of places, are they all like the West of Scotland, not that I am aware of.

What about things like the Orange Order, who march thro' Glasgow to revel in their anti-catholicism, are they better than seperate schools, do they foster bigotry less. I think not.

If someone proposed to do a similar thing with anti-practically anything else sentiment then it would be banned.

I freaking hate n00bs!

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Originally Posted by JPaul

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Originally Posted by bigboab

I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions.:(
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Trite and predictable. You may use the argument that it has helped to keep sectarianism alive, but to say that it created bigotry is nonsense.

There are denominational schools in loads of places, are they all like the West of Scotland, not that I am aware of.

What about things like the Orange Order, who march thro' Glasgow to revel in their anti-catholicism, are they better than seperate schools, do they foster bigotry less. I think not.

If someone proposed to do a similar thing with anti-practically anything else sentiment then it would be banned.

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like snny said, xenophobia is natural.



the only way to overcome it is to learn. sectarianism leads to bigotry, even though bigotry can survive without sectarianism.

But what SnnY described is not xenophobia.

I don't hate anyone until they give me good reason to.

I have to be quite open minded as I deal with allsorts of people, and if I were to prejudge them, I would just be setting myself up for big shocks. One of my assistants is a wh/ch bound homophobe, and the other a manly lesbian with a heart of gold. Which makes work, erm, intresting. :unsure:

I've met herion users and alcholics who help others with simple things like changing lightbulbs and picking up shopping, and on the other side of the scale, freeloading pensioners with violent tendencies and venomous tongues. There are few people I truely hate, but I get annoyed with peeps who only look out for themselves, expecting someone to bail them out of whatever debts and problems they have got into. Always thinking society owes them a favour, and never putting in effort to help those less fortunate.

I'm not saying I'm an angel, far from it. But today I have scratched my arms to bits volunteering in a garden, and also made time to listen to a lady crying over her late husbands love letters she found, while still getting managing to get my work done. It just takes a lil bit of patience to make someone else feel better about life, simple things we all take for granted are sometimes the hardest problems for others to solve alone. It's all about teh love. :wub:


Anyone with manners instantly gains my respect, no matter what age, colour, race or religion they may happen to be. Life is too short to make silly judgements based on your own ideals.

I think I'd know if i was bigfoot, what a stupid thread :dry:

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Originally Posted by JPaul

But what SnnY described is not xenophobia.

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In direct translation from greek, xenophobia means fear of the alien/foreign/different or something like it, it's commonly used to describe a negative (emotional) reaction (spawned from fear) to those who are strange to you, I think :unsure:

EDit: @everybody: The subject at hand, and what I described are the results of the same mechanisms that cause xenophobia. I think zero's original question had more to do with an emotional response than any action caused by it. So I don't think he's a bigot, and that he doesn't have anything to worry about.

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Originally Posted by SnnY

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Originally Posted by JPaul

But what SnnY described is not xenophobia.

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In direct translation from greek, xenophobia means fear of the alien/foreign/different or something like it, it's commonly used to describe a negative (emotional) reaction (spawned from fear) to those who are strange to you, I think :unsure:

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Xenophobia is, as I understand it, when it is taken beyond that which is a rational fear of the strange.

It is the undue fear of the alien/foreign as opposed to your description of the natural fear of the unknown.

I think you are right about the fear itself, but that xenophobia is the wrong word to use. A phobia is by it's nature excessive or irrational.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Mulder

I think I'd know if i was bigfoot, what a stupid thread :dry:

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It would be a nightmare shopping for shoes for a start :rolleyes:

edit: @snny, to be honest i'm not sure anymore what i meant :rolleyes: :blink: I guess the point that was made when I had the conversation was that although you may think of yourelf as not being any of the various ist's or ism's mentioned above if you are really honest with yourself there are situations that you pre-judge (sp or manker as I will now refer to it) people when you learn a certain piece of info about them e.g. race, colour, religious belief, nationality etc etc

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Originally Posted by JPaul

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Originally Posted by bigboab

I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions.:(
:

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Trite and predictable. You may use the argument that it has helped to keep sectarianism alive, but to say that it created bigotry is nonsense.

There are denominational schools in loads of places, are they all like the West of Scotland, not that I am aware of.

What about things like the Orange Order, who march thro' Glasgow to revel in their anti-catholicism, are they better than seperate schools, do they foster bigotry less. I think not.

If someone proposed to do a similar thing with anti-practically anything else sentiment then it would be banned.

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Is sectarianism not bigotry. Separating childen from their friends at five to send them to a separate religious school while living in the same area is bigotry. You are setting your(I dont mean you:)) child apart from the mainstream of children growing up in their area. As for the Orange Order and any other sectarian bigoted bunch you care to mention. One of the qualifications to become a member of these orders should be intelligence tests. That would close them down overnight. Why are the good people of Northern Ireland on a course of getting rid of separate schools if they did not think it caused problems?

As for being trite and predictable anybody in this forum who has a point of view opposed to yours gets the same treatment. There is no one more trite and predictable than your good self. If you dont believe me go back and read some of your own posts.

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Originally Posted by JPaul

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Originally Posted by SnnY

In direct translation from greek, xenophobia means fear of the alien/foreign/different or something like it, it's commonly used to describe a negative (emotional) reaction (spawned from fear) to those who are strange to you, I think :unsure:

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Xenophobia is, as I understand it, when it is taken beyond that which is a rational fear of the strange.

It is the undue fear of the alien/foreign as opposed to your description of the natural fear of the unknown.

I think you are right about the fear itself, but that xenophobia is the wrong word to use. A phobia is by it's nature excessive or irrational.

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Ah ok, I understand where you are coming from then.

I can't really find any clarity as to whether one interpretation should be ruled out as I can find both on the interweb (can't be arsed to look it up in print atm), but yours does seem more widely used :unsure:

I do think the original meaning simply was fear of the unknown :unsure:

[QUOTE=bigboab]

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Originally Posted by JPaul

As for being trite and predictable anybody in this forum who has a point of view opposed to yours gets the same treatment. There is no one more trite and predictable than your good self. If you dont believe me go back and read some of your own posts.

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That was even more predictable than your original one. Does anyone think you were not going to post that.

You said that denominational schools were the source of bigotry in this area. Which it clearly was not.

[QUOTE=JPaul]

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Originally Posted by bigboab

That was even more predictable than your original one. Does anyone think you were not going to post that.

You said that denominational schools were the source of bigotry in this area. Which it clearly was not.

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Then can you explain to me as part of the 'Abolish Bigotry' campaign by the Scottish Executive why they propose to abolish separate schools. While you are at it, explain to members what the main stumbling block to this is.

[QUOTE=JPaul]

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Originally Posted by bigboab

That was even more predictable than your original one. Does anyone think you were not going to post that.

You said that denominational schools were the source of bigotry in this area. Which it clearly was not.

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It's like watching two eight year olds when you pair start, what's next pig tail pulling? :huh:

You said

"I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions"

That suggests that all bigotry comes from separate schools. No in fact it doesn't suggest it, it states it. Unless you have a different meaning for ".... has been created by ...."

How do separate schools engender homophobia, racism, ageism, sexism.

I agreed that it may be argued that it helps prolong sectarianism. In my opinion there are other things which do not only that, but fight against attempts to abolish it.

However they did not create bigotry, which is what you said.

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Originally Posted by JPaul

You said

"I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions"

That suggests that all bigotry comes from separate schools. No in fact it doesn't suggest it, it states it. Unless you have a different meaning for ".... has been created by ...."

How do separate schools engender homophobia, racism, ageism, sexism.

I agreed that it may be argued that it helps prolong sectarianism. In my opinion there are other things which do not only that, but fight against attempts to abolish it.

However they did not create bigotry, which is what you said.

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If it helps I will change that to 'Does not help the cause of abolishing bigotry':)

If other schools were created for the above subjects they would make the problem worse.

As you are not answering the 'stumbling block' question, I will. The Catholic Hierarchy in Scotland agreed to 'joint' schools provided that Catholic pupils entered these schools by separate doors. If that is not bigotry then I am lost for words.

What do you mean "If it helps I will change that to 'Does not help the cause of abolishing bigotry'"

That is an entirely different proposition from your original one. So no, it doesn't help, it actually confuses matters.

Are you still saying "I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions" or are you retracting that statement.

I love when folks are backed into corners. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Originally Posted by Busyman

I love when folks are backed into corners. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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The urge to type "ooer missus" is overwhelming.

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Originally Posted by JPaul

What do you mean "If it helps I will change that to 'Does not help the cause of abolishing bigotry'"

That is an entirely different proposition from your original one. So no, it doesn't help, it actually confuses matters.

Are you still saying "I think that in the area we come from bigotry has been created by separate schools for different religions" or are you retracting that statement.

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No I am not retracting that statement. I said if it helps. Children are allowed to play together until they are five. They are then separated to different schools because of paticular religion. That sets them 'apart'. Creating bigotry.
You can be pedantic in statements or anything you want. Separate schools creates bigotry. End of story.

@ Busyman, unless you know the local situation and all its implications ,dont comment.:angry:

[QUOTE=(>Zero Cool<)]

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Originally Posted by JPaul

It's like watching two eight year olds when you pair start, what's next pig tail pulling? :huh:

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:lol::lol:

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Originally Posted by (>Zero Cool<)

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Originally Posted by Mr. Mulder

I think I'd know if i was bigfoot, what a stupid thread :dry:

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@snny, to be honest i'm not sure anymore what i meant :rolleyes: :blink: I guess the point that was made when I had the conversation was that although you may think of yourelf as not being any of the various ist's or ism's mentioned above if you are really honest with yourself there are situations that you pre-judge (sp or manker as I will now refer to it) people when you learn a certain piece of info about them e.g. race, colour, religious belief, nationality etc etc

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Like I said, I don't think "pre-judging" someone makes you part of any -ism on its own.