What is the source of racial prejudice? Are we born with a perception of what 'seems' better, more beautiful and superior? Or is it that we associate some attributes to a race - historic or behavioral - and that affects our every other perception about it?
Think of an alternate reality. With another set of butterfly effects, industrialization came to the African continent first, they explored the world and ruled it. Would then black be associated with powerful, exotic, sophisticated and superior? Would then almost every other country in the world speak their languages, try to adopt their culture and look up to them? I'm thinking, yes.
India is good place to explore this concept, since a variety of skin colors exists within one country. I wonder if grandmothers used to be happier if the daughters were born fair, even before colonization happened and our perception of superiority got associated with the white.
I guess one of the solutions to racial prejudice is extensive mixing of each society. If I grow up and live only with the same kind of people, it will not be too difficult for me to generalize based on race, make fun of 'other' behavior, respect or despise it.
How far are we from realizing that we are just another species in the kingdom of nature? Maybe the smartest, smart enough to manipulate every other creation by it (but not smart enough to stop ourselves). But just another species, all in it together.
Maybe the day we will realize it we'll decide to stop taking ourselves so seriously.
Think of an alternate reality. With another set of butterfly effects, industrialization came to the African continent first, they explored the world and ruled it. Would then black be associated with powerful, exotic, sophisticated and superior? Would then almost every other country in the world speak their languages, try to adopt their culture and look up to them? I'm thinking, yes.
India is good place to explore this concept, since a variety of skin colors exists within one country. I wonder if grandmothers used to be happier if the daughters were born fair, even before colonization happened and our perception of superiority got associated with the white.
I guess one of the solutions to racial prejudice is extensive mixing of each society. If I grow up and live only with the same kind of people, it will not be too difficult for me to generalize based on race, make fun of 'other' behavior, respect or despise it.
How far are we from realizing that we are just another species in the kingdom of nature? Maybe the smartest, smart enough to manipulate every other creation by it (but not smart enough to stop ourselves). But just another species, all in it together.
Maybe the day we will realize it we'll decide to stop taking ourselves so seriously.
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