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CONCLUSION
In this story, the impact of prejudice as the consequence of it’s Stinky Thinking is illustrated. As a teacher or parent, you see this irrationality as it pertains to many areas in the life of adults as well as children. But to be fair, avoiding eating something that has made you sick in the past or avoiding people who have hurt you in the past has a survival value that may have genetic roots. The problem comes when rational anxiety and avoidance of painful or dangerous situations and people becomes generalized to anything unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
Prejudiced in this sense is about how our judgment is not based on the reality (true danger) but on our irrationality (too hard, possible failure) and this thinking (stinky) drives our emotions and behaviors.
We are all familiar with the various types of “people prejudices”. There was a survival value in ancient time in avoiding others not of our tribe or clan. They could be recognized by color, style of dress or language. That we still avoid others based on such criteria, points to how fundamental, if irrational, this type of thinking is to us.
The prejudice toward others is of much concern and discussion in our society. It is most often associated with race but it can also be related to sex, religion and even intellectual ability or recreational preferences. “We don’t like them because; “all they do is listen to that, rock, country or rap music,” “they never go to any sports events,” “they read books all the time.”
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