Seems like a lot of us get confused
about how to treat others graciously, with respect, versus in a patronizing
manner. Patronizing involves being 'nice' with an inherent assumption of
superiority to the other.
Many of us inadvertently treat others in a patronizing manner.
We use a louder singy songey voice for older people, for people with some cognitive or physical challenges, and even people a different color than us.
The difference is that we are not awarely behaving toward them with the gracious respect we can automatically accord another. Unless we discover that they have indecent disrespecting ways.
It's not that it's a bad thing to discover we are in fact categorizing and even discriminating against others. It's the first step toward awareness, and learning enough of both our emotions and about them that our assumptions can change.
Just in case we want to treat others the exact way we want to be treated, or those important to us to be treated.
The most important way we can recognize our old lousy attitudes and bring them into the light in order to evolve, is to bring them out into the light so they can evolve.
We are not bad people if in our mind we have lousy not nice thoughts about others. It's ok.
We are lousy people if we don't take the time to understand how this happens, especially in a culture heavily impacted and restrained by its colonial roots. And continue living our lives falsely categorizing others, intentionally limiting their possibilities.
Their equal access to food, to job training , to safety, to respect, to economic and social justice and equity.
When we catch ourselves having terrible thoughts about another due to their appearance or the group of people they have things in common with, it's an excellent opportunity , for our own honest growth and peace of mind, to welcome that thought out, identity it for what it is, fact check it, understand how we in this culture hand down attitudes and stereotypes like that, and then reaffirm that we are all equal. That we have many differences and easily misunderstand each other's ways.
We are easily fearful or suspicious. We can affirm what we have in common, educate ourselves with broadly accepted facts, and then settle down and help our selves grow.
Many of us inadvertently treat others in a patronizing manner.
We use a louder singy songey voice for older people, for people with some cognitive or physical challenges, and even people a different color than us.
The difference is that we are not awarely behaving toward them with the gracious respect we can automatically accord another. Unless we discover that they have indecent disrespecting ways.
It's not that it's a bad thing to discover we are in fact categorizing and even discriminating against others. It's the first step toward awareness, and learning enough of both our emotions and about them that our assumptions can change.
Just in case we want to treat others the exact way we want to be treated, or those important to us to be treated.
The most important way we can recognize our old lousy attitudes and bring them into the light in order to evolve, is to bring them out into the light so they can evolve.
We are not bad people if in our mind we have lousy not nice thoughts about others. It's ok.
We are lousy people if we don't take the time to understand how this happens, especially in a culture heavily impacted and restrained by its colonial roots. And continue living our lives falsely categorizing others, intentionally limiting their possibilities.
Their equal access to food, to job training , to safety, to respect, to economic and social justice and equity.
When we catch ourselves having terrible thoughts about another due to their appearance or the group of people they have things in common with, it's an excellent opportunity , for our own honest growth and peace of mind, to welcome that thought out, identity it for what it is, fact check it, understand how we in this culture hand down attitudes and stereotypes like that, and then reaffirm that we are all equal. That we have many differences and easily misunderstand each other's ways.
We are easily fearful or suspicious. We can affirm what we have in common, educate ourselves with broadly accepted facts, and then settle down and help our selves grow.
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