Harnessing Prejudice: Part 1, The Ugly Revelation

We’re all prejudiced. No matter how logical, forward-thinking and open-minded we think we are, prejudicial thinking lurks in our subconscious, influencing our reactions, goals, opinions and choices.

And no, I’m not going to ask you to reveal your personal prejudices to the world today; this post is about my own flawed stereotypical bias(es). So you can breathe a sigh of relief and feel a bit superior, if you like, while I get down to business.

As I explored/exploited my intellectual vanity this week, a few ugly prejudices surfaced… prejudices related directly to intelligence. I don’t really remember how they surfaced, just that they did, and I was shocked.

Buried in my subconscious darkness is an association between being thin, and being smart. I also uncovered a subconscious bias towards wealth, and a hidden belief poor people are less intelligent.

Akk. These beliefs aren’t pretty, and I don’t like admitting they exist, but there they are, staring me right in the face. They’re inaccurate, they’re unfair, they’re ugly, and I want to hide from them.

I can’t tell you clearly where these ideas came from, certainly not from anything my parents taught me directly. And they are certainly not safe or logical assumptions. Any number of non-intelligence-related influences can affect a person’s weight or financial status, and just like any number of skinny, rich people are remarkably dull-minded by most standards. (Paris Hilton pops to mind)

And if I apply these assumptions to my own life, clear issues begin to develop. Although very thin in my younger years, when these ideas likely developed, I’m now… lets just say “well-curved”. <cough-sputter> And while I’ve never been close to wealthy, I’ve often teetered on the edge of poor, including during my childhood.

Now, combine that info with my flawed intelligence stereotype, (overweight + not-wealthy = not-so-bright). (Ouch) Now toss in my intellectual vanity? (Well THAT’s gonna leave a mark!)

According to my prejudice, I’m… well… stupid.

And yet a good deal of my self-worth is based around what I perceive as my intelligence.

This really, really doesn’t work for me. Not only am I un-enlightened purveyor of stereotypes, but… I’m stupid?

So there you have it. The ugly revelation.

This has to change.

Over the next week, I’ll jot down thoughts about solutions: How to reprogram subconscious prejudice, how I’m using my prejudices in conjunction with my vanity, and a deeper examination of what I subconsciously label “intelligence” (Which should make Galba happy!).

Sooner or later I promise to stop blathering about my own brain, and bring things back to others.. but for now, you can sit back and smirk at my humiliation. Just don’t smirk too much, lest you engage my smirking vs intelligence bias!

(smirk!)
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MindTWEAK: The greatest and noblest pleasure which men can have in this world is to discover new truths; and the next is to shake off old prejudices. - Frederick The Great
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