Sometimes we are teaching prejudice thinking without being aware
This past two years I have been learning more about critical thinking. It has been an interesting journey and I’d like to share some of the things that I have learned along the way.
First let’s get a clearer idea of what critical thinking is. Everyone thinks, but what makes thinking into critical thinking? To understand that more clearly, let’s look at the effect critical thinking has on our minds. We can say that this effect comes by using study to gain more knowledge and then analyzing and synthesizing that facts that make up that knowledge. This use of study and facts helps us to have a more open flexible mind. Critical thinking helps to expand your mind. The opposite of critical thinking might be “prejudice”. Author Beverly Daniel Tatum sums up prejudice in this way, “Prejudice is a preconceived judgment or opinion usually based on limited information.” We could sum it up by saying that critical thinking looks for information and values study. Prejudice actively tries to keep information out. Critical thinking opens the mind. Prejudice closes the mind.
Here is a personal example of how critical thinking has helped me to see clearly some of my prejudices, begin to leave them behind, and have a more open mind. This example is about a children’s story I wrote 10 years ago. The story starts like this, “Once upon a time there was a family. The last name of this family was “Circle”. They were all kind of…. well, you guessed it! They were all kind of Round. Not only were they Round, but they were all Red. And everyone in their community was also Red and Round.”
When the story starts the family consists of Mother Circle, Father Circle, Sister Circle, and Brother Circle. A little way into the story we find out that Mother Circle is going to have another baby. The story continues, “One day Mother Circle and Father Circle go to the hospital because it is time for the baby to be born. When the baby comes, there is a big surprise because the baby is not a Circle or Red. It is a Blue Square and is named Little Square.” The rest of the story is about Little Square’s life and the challenges he faces as he is a different color and shape. He is Blue and everyone else is Red. He is a Square and everyone else is Round. Little Square can’t do the same things as the other kids. He is bullied at school and does not have friends. That is— until one day he is able to do something heroic that only a Square could do. The Circles had tried the task, but had all failed. After becoming a hero, Little Square is accepted by the Red Circles. The Red teacher at school and the Red kids make a big fuss over him and everyone loves him. Everyone cheers for him and from that day forward Little Square and everyone else lives happily ever after.
As I said, I wrote this story 10 years ago. I wrote it with the intention of trying to help little children understand something about racism and that all colors and races could be happy together. I used to think it fulfilled that goal and had a happy ending. After all, in the end of the story, Little Square is a hero and is accepted and loved by all the Red Circles. It seems it was difficult for him to get accepted but that he tried hard and was happy with being accepted. Isn’t that a true and happy ending? I thought so 10 years ago, but I don´t think so today.
Remember prejudice is based on a pre-existing opinion based on limited facts. And remember the story says that Little Square went from being bullied by the Red Circle kids to being loved by them after he becomes a hero. What are the pre-existing opinions in the story of Little Square? Today ten years after writing Little Square, I find at least two pre-existing opinions based on limited facts.
Prejudiced opinion: racism does not really exist. If it does exist, it is not so bad. We see in the story that after being the victim of racist treatment for years that the past is suddenly washed away and everything becomes great for Little Square. This says that racism is easily washed away and its perpetrators are really nice people like the Red Circles who out of their supposed graciousness accepted Little Square. This is a lie.
Second prejudiced opinion: In the story Little Square becomes a hero and then is welcomed and embraced by the Red Circles. The message is that any POC can be successful simply by trying hard, being brilliant, being supper nice, or becoming famous just like Little Square. When this happens, they can be loved, respected and successful in white society. The reality is that that POC, like white people, should just be treated with respect and acceptance whether are not they are exceptional, mediocre, or less so in terms of skills. Afterall, many average white people rise to the highest levels of power in the United States.
What do the facts tell us about these prejudiced opinions? What do the facts tell us about the tenacity and extent of racism in our very present lives? The facts tell us that racism is alive and well. The facts tell us that there are more Covid deaths among among the minority communities. The facts tell us that there are efforts right now in many states to pass laws that will have the effect of limiting voting among in black and poor communities. The abundance of poverty, police violence, and incarcerations all point to racism. The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and so many others show this more clearly than anything else. Racism kills and does not have a happy ending.
It is not my intent here to write about racism. The subject is too vast and my knowledge is too limited. My intention here is to show that learning facts about racism and analyzing them has helped me to open my mind more to see some of my own prejudices. Ten years ago I wrote the story of Little Square and thought that it ended happily. After acquiring even a minimal knowledge about racism I can see that the facts show that the “happily ever after” ending of Little Square is not real. I want to keep learning and thinking so that I can continue to get rid of more preconceived judgements.
Didi Ananda Muktivrata is a yogic nun from the Ananda Marga tradition who lives in Lima Peru. She is on the Executive Board of AMURT with the project Rurapuk. She loves reading and spending time with her dog.