Page 35 - FS-Chocolate Festival

THE CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
TOPIC: Prejudice is a common human characteristic that seems so normal that often we don’t realize that it is caused by our Stinky Thinking. This story is about how irrational and hurtful prejudice can have a very negative impact on others. It also shows how we facilitate prejudice when we don’t challenge it.
This story illustrates how destructive Prejudice can be for everyone. We define prejudice as “A negative opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.” It is an example of how “Stinky Thinking” can cause problems in society as well as personal problems.
Children are notorious for being prejudice toward certain classmates, teachers, chores and even foods. Luckily, because these beliefs, (formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge) are not yet strongly held and can often be changed with a little help.
A child who refuses to play with another because of the other child’s race can often be coaxed into playing with them once and overcome their unfounded beliefs. They can try a “yucky” food once and discover it tastes okay.
But sometimes, this change of opinion does not happen because the naturally occurring irrational beliefs of children are not challenged and are sometimes encouraged. As a consequence, the child does not change their irrational beliefs and they form ridged prejudices that accompany them into adulthood. These prejudices may be as inconsequential as refusing to taste foods of a certain color or as significant as an irrational anger toward all those of a particular race, religion or sex.
In this story the ease with which an irrational fear (prejudice) can be developed is illustrated.
32