Steve, historically the protests have changed the Overton Window (range of policies acceptable to the majority of the public). Once the Overton Window has changed, laws change to reflect the thinking of the majority. When laws change, and the majority of the people follow those rules, then the Overton Window shifts to reflect the new nor…
Steve, historically the protests have changed the Overton Window (range of policies acceptable to the majority of the public). Once the Overton Window has changed, laws change to reflect the thinking of the majority. When laws change, and the majority of the people follow those rules, then the Overton Window shifts to reflect the new norms. Unfortunately, the construction of our brains to instinctively fear “the other” slows the progress toward loving all our fellow humans.
I know about the Overton Window. But I also know hate is something we are taught. It has nothing to do with how are brains are constructed. We have be a natural desire to survive. But it’s possible to teach children that the best way to survive is together. It’s also possible to teach that science has known since the 1960s how to feed clothe house and educate everyone on Earth (see: Buckminster Fuller, W. Edwards Deming). Cooperation is the key to our survival … to peace… not cut throat competition… not war.
I don’t think our brains are “constructed to fear the Other”—plenty of people don’t, especially those who live in cities. Even in a small town like the one I grew up in in Ohio there wasn’t much fear of that kind among the young. Our minds can be shaped or reshaped though, by bad information from authoritative sources, or watching bad people attain success and power. FOX News, and the success of Trump, have been terrible for our country.
Mary, I believe that many of us are taught that our innate instincts can be overcome—and others can be taught that we are right to fear those who are different. I grew up in a culture that feared having their children exposed to “those godless communists” in the universities.
Yes, that's what I mean. Your brain wasn't constructed that way, your community was, and its laws confirmed that there was a difference. Someone else here posted that if a White person said they didn't notice when they first met a Black person that the person was Black they were lying, but I remember the first person I met who I was told (afterwards) was Black, a slightly older girl named Shelley. I was struck by how pretty she was, and we played all afternoon. Later I said something admiring about her to a neighbor girl, who said "She's colored." I was puzzled at the word and asked what she meant. I don't think she really knew either, it was just something she'd heard her father say. Shelley's mother did housework for them so she'd been to my neighbor's house and they played. I think my neighbor was just possessive, jealous that Shelley and I were making friends too, so she tried to say something that would put me off her and used a word she'd gleaned was derogatory. Neither of us had a concept of "difference," except that Shelley was pretty and smart and cool.
I'd be interested to know how they define it ("ideas"). My friend in the story--a profoundly, actively anti-racist person I'm still close to at 70--was well past 5 when she tried to nip my friendship with Shelley in the bud by announcing to me that she was "colored." But I doubt she had an "idea" other than "this is something my dad thinks is bad."
Steve, historically the protests have changed the Overton Window (range of policies acceptable to the majority of the public). Once the Overton Window has changed, laws change to reflect the thinking of the majority. When laws change, and the majority of the people follow those rules, then the Overton Window shifts to reflect the new norms. Unfortunately, the construction of our brains to instinctively fear “the other” slows the progress toward loving all our fellow humans.
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://theconversation.com/the-politics-of-fear-how-fear-goes-tribal-allowing-us-to-be-manipulated-109626&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiH7ef89e6GAxVqv4kEHRprCiIQFnoECB0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1_7VYN3mQu_OYXGgP3chJd
I know about the Overton Window. But I also know hate is something we are taught. It has nothing to do with how are brains are constructed. We have be a natural desire to survive. But it’s possible to teach children that the best way to survive is together. It’s also possible to teach that science has known since the 1960s how to feed clothe house and educate everyone on Earth (see: Buckminster Fuller, W. Edwards Deming). Cooperation is the key to our survival … to peace… not cut throat competition… not war.
Steve, I believe that we are taught to either love the difference or to fear it.
I don’t think our brains are “constructed to fear the Other”—plenty of people don’t, especially those who live in cities. Even in a small town like the one I grew up in in Ohio there wasn’t much fear of that kind among the young. Our minds can be shaped or reshaped though, by bad information from authoritative sources, or watching bad people attain success and power. FOX News, and the success of Trump, have been terrible for our country.
Mary, I believe that many of us are taught that our innate instincts can be overcome—and others can be taught that we are right to fear those who are different. I grew up in a culture that feared having their children exposed to “those godless communists” in the universities.
Yes, that's what I mean. Your brain wasn't constructed that way, your community was, and its laws confirmed that there was a difference. Someone else here posted that if a White person said they didn't notice when they first met a Black person that the person was Black they were lying, but I remember the first person I met who I was told (afterwards) was Black, a slightly older girl named Shelley. I was struck by how pretty she was, and we played all afternoon. Later I said something admiring about her to a neighbor girl, who said "She's colored." I was puzzled at the word and asked what she meant. I don't think she really knew either, it was just something she'd heard her father say. Shelley's mother did housework for them so she'd been to my neighbor's house and they played. I think my neighbor was just possessive, jealous that Shelley and I were making friends too, so she tried to say something that would put me off her and used a word she'd gleaned was derogatory. Neither of us had a concept of "difference," except that Shelley was pretty and smart and cool.
I’ve read that by age five children have been inculcated with ideas about race.
I'd be interested to know how they define it ("ideas"). My friend in the story--a profoundly, actively anti-racist person I'm still close to at 70--was well past 5 when she tried to nip my friendship with Shelley in the bud by announcing to me that she was "colored." But I doubt she had an "idea" other than "this is something my dad thinks is bad."
Thank you! I agree!