I've had conversations about race with people from all over the world. In person and online. And yes, you're right, racism is different in different parts of the world because its roots are different and people's moral judgement of it is different. I've met many people who wore their racism with pride. But that doesn't mean their minds c…
I've had conversations about race with people from all over the world. In person and online. And yes, you're right, racism is different in different parts of the world because its roots are different and people's moral judgement of it is different. I've met many people who wore their racism with pride. But that doesn't mean their minds can't be changed.
I will never stop loving the opportunity to share this video. It's only 3 minutes long.
I understand where the pessimism comes from. I'm an optimist, but I'm not naive or a fantasist. Even if you do everything perfectly, you only occasionally get the satisfaction of actually *seeing* that you've changed someone's mind (and even more rarely of having them admit it). But if it's possible to get through to the Grand Wizard of the KKK, I think there's hope for most people.
Which is why talking to people as if they’re human beings instead of dismissing them or name-calling is effective. Sadly, especially nowadays, these are also exceptional behaviours.
I don't do the name-calling thing but I do tend to disengage, having run out of patience long ago. In decades online I have only seen two conversions out of thousands of people, which is FAIAP zero.
But that exception strategy works. Once a bigot knows someone from the hated group to be a respectable person the whole attitude crumbles. I like to think I've been the exception a few times for gay-haters.
Opinions by and large change gradually and incrementally in humans. The "conversion" experience is relatively rare - typically only due to traumatic or transcendant experiences.
For example, I know people who were pretty deep into neo-progressive ideology, and who have gradually pulled themselves out of it, typically a small piece at a time over years. I wouldn't call any I have known a "conversion" experience, but despite being slow, such shifts can be important.
I myself am one case in point.
And congrats in being the cognitively dissonant exception! That does work, as you say, albeit usually gradually and incrementally.
I've been a big fan of Daryl Davis since I first learned his story.
Years ago, many assumed it was OK to use the N word around me, and while the war in Vietnam was fresh on people's minds, the "gook" word because I am white. People wear it on their sleeve less now, but how much is a reduction of racism and how much is caution? I cannot say..
When using one of these words will get you escorted from your workplace under guard carrying a box of your personal stuff, it has a way of suppressing bigoted speech.
It was not that long ago that people would use the worst epithets on coworkers, I remember it well.
I've had conversations about race with people from all over the world. In person and online. And yes, you're right, racism is different in different parts of the world because its roots are different and people's moral judgement of it is different. I've met many people who wore their racism with pride. But that doesn't mean their minds can't be changed.
I will never stop loving the opportunity to share this video. It's only 3 minutes long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJbrLl7ayoQ
See also, one of my heroes, Daryl Davis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORp3q1Oaezw&t=2s
I understand where the pessimism comes from. I'm an optimist, but I'm not naive or a fantasist. Even if you do everything perfectly, you only occasionally get the satisfaction of actually *seeing* that you've changed someone's mind (and even more rarely of having them admit it). But if it's possible to get through to the Grand Wizard of the KKK, I think there's hope for most people.
Davis' achievement was done by making himself the exception. A virulent bigot can't have exceptions.
Which is why talking to people as if they’re human beings instead of dismissing them or name-calling is effective. Sadly, especially nowadays, these are also exceptional behaviours.
I don't do the name-calling thing but I do tend to disengage, having run out of patience long ago. In decades online I have only seen two conversions out of thousands of people, which is FAIAP zero.
But that exception strategy works. Once a bigot knows someone from the hated group to be a respectable person the whole attitude crumbles. I like to think I've been the exception a few times for gay-haters.
Opinions by and large change gradually and incrementally in humans. The "conversion" experience is relatively rare - typically only due to traumatic or transcendant experiences.
For example, I know people who were pretty deep into neo-progressive ideology, and who have gradually pulled themselves out of it, typically a small piece at a time over years. I wouldn't call any I have known a "conversion" experience, but despite being slow, such shifts can be important.
I myself am one case in point.
And congrats in being the cognitively dissonant exception! That does work, as you say, albeit usually gradually and incrementally.
I've been a big fan of Daryl Davis since I first learned his story.
Years ago, many assumed it was OK to use the N word around me, and while the war in Vietnam was fresh on people's minds, the "gook" word because I am white. People wear it on their sleeve less now, but how much is a reduction of racism and how much is caution? I cannot say..
When using one of these words will get you escorted from your workplace under guard carrying a box of your personal stuff, it has a way of suppressing bigoted speech.
It was not that long ago that people would use the worst epithets on coworkers, I remember it well.