Author:
Randy Alexander
Date Of Creation:
1 April 2021
Update Date:
26 June 2024
Content
Stigma (social prejudice), prejudice (false beliefs that are true about a person or group of people), and discrimination (acting against an individual or group of people due to prejudice) can create So the environment is stressful and causes mental health problems. Prejudice and interactions with different races have the potential to impair the functioning of the brain because people with high prejudices spend a lot of effort managing their behavior. To completely overcome your prejudices, you need to find ways to minimize your own prejudices and try to eliminate them on the social side. You can overcome prejudice by challenging your dispositions, strengthening your social connections, and resolving biased decisions.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Challenge your own biases
Evaluate your own biases. To overcome your prejudices, the first thing you need to know is what they are. In social psychology there are tools used to evaluate the underlying feelings and beliefs about many different people; this is called the Hidden Associate Test (IAT). This test shows the degree of biased bias about a particular group of people.- You can do an IAT test from Harvard University on several topics including gender, religion, and race on the internet.
Responsible. Prejudice is a form of perspective defect because it prevents your thinking from reaching beyond your assumption and creating an invisible wall around objective thinking. For example, a latent and obvious attitude toward a person of another race will greatly affect how friendly you are to them (verbal or deed).- Acknowledge your own prejudices and prejudices, and actively replace them with appropriate ones. For example, if you have biases about gender, religion, culture or race (such as blondes are stupid, women are always temperamental, ...), you It is important to remind yourself that this is a bias against that group of people and that you are focusing on the whole individual.
Recognize the negative effects of prejudice. To limit your own prejudices or prejudices, you should identify and understand how it affects others. Victims of prejudice or heavy discrimination can have serious mental health problems.- Facing prejudice and discrimination can impair self-esteem and cause depression, as well as limit access to health care, housing, education, and adequate employment.
- The fact that others are biased against you can negatively affect your ability to control yourself.
- Bear in mind that if you are biased toward others, they could have serious consequences.
Reduce self-stigma. Some people have prejudice or prejudice against themselves. Self-stigma arises when you have negative beliefs about yourself. If you agree with this thought (self-prejudice), you may develop negative behavior (self-discrimination). For example, a person thinks negatively about his or her mental illness and thinks that he or she is "crazy."
- Identify potential dangers that cause you to stigmatize yourself and proactively adjust this way of thinking. For example, instead of saying, "I am crazy because I have a mental illness", you can switch to "Mental illness is completely normal and many people do." This doesn't mean I'm crazy. ”
Method 2 of 3: Strengthen social cohesion to minimize bias
Contact with many people. Diversity is also a factor in promoting the ability to overcome prejudice. Without meeting many people of different racial, cultural, sexual orientation, and religious groups, you cannot fully accept the diversity that exists in the world. When you stop judging and begin to listen and learn, you really get to know someone.
- One way to experience that diversity is to travel to another country, or even another city. Each city has its own culture, such as food, traditions, and popular activities. For example, urban residents differ from those living in the countryside simply because they live in different environments.
Get in contact with someone you admire. Meet people who are different from you (race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) that you respect or admire. This helps to change potentially negative attitudes toward individuals of different cultures.
- Viewing pictures or reading about people you admire can help you reduce prejudice towards specific groups of people (race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexuality, etc.).
- Read other people's magazines or books with you.
Avoid justifying prejudice when meeting other people. Prejudice can occur when ideas are justified by discrimination or prejudice. This phenomenon occurs due to a sometimes socially accepted prejudice. We all know both good and bad stereotypes. Some examples are stupid blondes, strong blacks, smart Asians, hard-working Mexicans, etc. Some of the prejudices sound nice, but they're can become negative due to prejudice. If you think that a group of people are alike, you will judge them subjectively if they do not meet your standards and lead to discrimination.
- One way to limit prejudice is to disapprove of racist opinions. For example, if your friends say, "All Asians are not skilled at driving." This is clearly negative bias, and can cause prejudice if the person truly believes this is absolutely correct. You can convert your friend's prejudice by confronting subtly and saying, “This is a bad bias. You need to consider many different cultures and traditions. ”
Method 3 of 3: Dealing with other people's prejudices
Open up and accept yourself. Sometimes we feel insecure when discriminated against or discriminated against and want to stay away from the world around us so we don't get hurt. Evading can be a self-defense measure, but it stresses and reacts negatively to prejudice.- Understand yourself and accept yourself no matter what others think.
- Identify people you can trust with your personal information, and be open to these people.
Join group. Team solidarity helps people become resilient in the face of stereotypes and averting mental health problems.- You can join any group, but you should choose a group that's right for you (eg Women group, LGBT group, African American group, Religious group, etc.). This can help you become stronger emotionally (limit anger or depression and have good control) in the face of prejudice.
Seek family support. If you encounter prejudice or discrimination, you should approach social support to fix these problems and overcome any obstacles. Family support can reduce the negative mental health effects prejudice causes.- Talk to family or friends about the stereotypes you have.
Expect positive or neutral results. If you've ever encountered prejudice or discrimination in the past, it's no wonder you will be afraid of encountering it again. However, expecting others to impose prejudices, or thinking that people will act in a certain way can be extremely stressful.- Don't be afraid of being rejected. Try seeing each situation and the interaction as a new experience.
- Expecting others who are prejudiced toward you can automatically become prejudice. You should not attribute and judge others in any way (such as prejudice, judgmental, racism, etc.). Bear in mind that if you prejudice others and think they will be discriminated against, you will become prejudiced.
Deal in a healthy and creative way. Some people seek ways to handle negative stereotypes, such as aggression or unnecessary confrontation. Instead of sacrificing your values to deal with prejudice, use methods to help release or process emotions caused by prejudice.- Express yourself through: art, literature, dance, singing, acting, or any other creative activity.
Join the activity. Proactively reducing stereotypes can help you see change.- One way is to become an ambassador or volunteer in an organization with the aim of limiting stereotyping and discrimination.
- If you are unable to volunteer for the organization, you can donate money or goods. Many centers for the homeless can accept canned food, clothing, and other items.
