the problem with prejudices

we all have prejudices...some display theirs overtly while others have theirs lurking in the deepest alleys of their minds.but we'll all be hypocrites if we say that we don't have some kind of fad or the other...for instance,i tend to judge people on the quality of their pronounciation.i know that is silly and is in no way a benchmark of a person,but that is just an instictive reaction that i can do little about.of course,the more sensible amongst us try to correct ourselves in hindsight and strive to limit the vice;but then,most of us aren't even aware of the deep-set notions that have cemented their roots in our consceince....

although prejudices are harmful by themselves and cause a lot of trouble to the person harbouring it as well as the person at whom it is directed....the more devastating and long term effect is on the society.yes,that is right!far fetched as it might seem,our little fads have a long term effect on the society...maybe not me or you..but when a lot of people share the same dirty little prejudice,it transcends the realm of the petty and becomes a socially acceptable norm,a constituent of societal prepriety!and then it takes years of labourious campaigns to enlighten the society once again...india is a prime example of this.more than a cradle of civilizations,over the centuries,it has acted as a confluence of myriad prejudices.some of them were nurtured and shared by a lot of people,mainly the patriarchs and soon they were no longer just notions...they had been moulded into the garb of tradition.it would take thousands of years for us to get rid of that once and for all!this weird idea that women somehow needed protection and were unfit social life was simply a wrong idea that got encouragement because it was shared by lots and lots of influential people!

and its not just with india or with the past.the same thing happens nowadays too!and just as much in the west as in the east!i mean,just look at the amount of insinuations faced by the gay community still!and all just because of the prejudice that,since their preferences are different,they are somehow lesser mortals.i overheard a friend of mine saying how disturbed he felt because elton john was openly gay!he thought it bizarre that" the greatest romantic singer is gay"...it was somehow a sacrilege to be gay.and it wasn't his fault.i often hear people grumble how that west is encouraging such fanatics by legalizing same-gender marriages.they seem to think that these people don't deserve any rights..they just need to be thrown off the social ladder...its nothing but a prejudice,but then so many people seem to have it in common!gay people are never romantic,they are not normal.they should be as boycotted as serial killers.

this isn't a piece to promote gay freedom,this is an effort to make us understand how lethal prejudices can be for the society.we can't shun them,but we can surely try to mitigate the effect they have on our lives.we can try to think rationally even if it feels difficult.i just hope that the next time my friend listens to an elton john composition,he appreciates the musical genius,no matter what the person behind that voice may be!