BIAS
Everyone, it appears, at one time or another, seems to be looking at international, national and local affairs with biased restrictions.
Everyone, it seems, is narrow-minded, especially that man or woman who, enamored of his or her own superior self, insists they are not so encumbered. We all have a touch of such in-born bias in our makeup and many have learned to deal with it.
A common bit of stuck-up-ology is evident when you find a person who, for some unexplainable reason, takes special pride in having been born in a particular state.
I have, most frequently come upon this ?born-in? badge among people who go out of their way to state their claim to having been born in either Virginia or Massachusetts. It seems, so often, to stem from ?Plymouth Rock? and ?Jamestown 1607? and that sort of background thinking. Being ?first? is, to them, finest. Being first, then, is best in every way and always subservient to perfection.
Men and women found in this condition usually meet with their come-up-ance when quite young as they mixed with people from other areas , but I have known individuals who have carried such a feeling along with them into their adult years, and even a few, unto Death itself. It is usually set aside early in life and one makes reference to it only in one?s prayers of Thanksgiving for having been so richly less blessed and richly endowed right at the start, but you no long mention it when mixing with general society, who, not having been born a-right are, naturally, inferior.
Going off to college or joining the Armed Forces have probably done more to knock down this common ego-bias than any other actions. They rerun into New York hatchees, probably the most provincial people you will even encounter. Then there will also prideful folks ?bawn? in Texas, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama or the ?K'laanahs.
This ,of course,is just one of many taints we tend to allow to creep into our mind which causes us, at times, to vacillate and veer from common sense thinking. It' s wise to take an honest look at some of the from time to time to see where if we may qualify in the mind of other to be called be called ?narrow -minded?, prejudiced or biased.
It can happen without the person afflicted being fully aware of it. Think across the spectrum of your view on race, religion, education, genealogy,heritage,wealth, blessings,handicaps,preferences,hates and special loves ? all facets of your life which compare in any way with that of others. Look beyond them mirror image of our life and become aware of who you really are rather than what you allow others to think you might be.
A L M June 29, 2004 [c468wds]
