My Ismic Thoughts And Actions

6/27/2014

Fair warning: this post involves a 12 minute long video that should be required viewing for all humans.

This is Jay Smooth. Watch to the end to find out his metaphor for racism.

At its core, the message I get is this: there are no racist people, there are just racist thoughts and actions. Good, because I see racist, classist, sexist, transphobic, ableist, and homophobic thoughts go through my head all the time. Sometimes, I speak or act on those thoughts before I realize what they are. This makes me feel shame because I see the prejudice inside of me. But shame doesn't make those thoughts go away. And so in the past I've been left wondering, "Underneath everything I try to do to be good, am I really just a prejudiced asshole?"

As an American, I have marinated in all the "isms" America has to offer. They have been baked into me by the media, the people around me, and the institutions that our country is built on. I can't take out my "isms" any more than I could take back the egg from a freshly-baked cake.

The best I can do is call my "ismic" thoughts for what are they are, as they come, ideally before those thoughts are translated into words or actions. Brush those teeth!

10 Comments

Abe Lateiner

If real change requires people to take risks, what would it mean for a straight, White, cisgender male, tall, thin, able-bodied, English-speaking US citizen with class privilege to take risks?

Heather Nelson

6/27/2014 03:37:52 pm

Hi Abe:

I think that fear of expressing dubious thoughts or feelings can really inhibit interaction and dialogue. What I tell myself nowadays is take risks, interact and learn, keep your eyes and ears open and when you've made an ass of yourself, acknowledge it. I also think that the ignorance reflected in stereotyping is often a form of provincialism-lack of knowledge and experience with this particular group of people. Not unique to America-part of human nature-thus the need for education, critical thinking and self-questioning.

Abraham Lateiner

7/3/2014 02:25:24 pm

Heather, absolutely...above all, I have to be willing to acknowledge that the dumb stuff I say is dumb! And I have to be open to allowing others to own THEIR dumb stuff and not let it stop me from being open to the idea that they can learn from their mistakes too.

John

6/27/2014 11:23:12 pm

Great talk. I came up against this first when I moves from the country via a very white city to South London. I was nervous about walking through housing projects or alone at night; I thought that black people would find me irredeemably white, middle class and therefore someone to ridicule or harass. Through experience and exposure these feelings have gone. But it shows that most racist thoughts are largely down to a lack of exposure. And it explains why London is largely welcoming to immigrants, while the predominantly white areas of Britain are more antagonistic.

7/3/2014 02:27:06 pm

John, I know what you mean. Kudos to you for recognizing it in yourself! To me it's so sad to think of how many people just never interact with enough people from the "other side of the fence" enough to form a nuanced view of what "those people" are really like.

Janice

6/28/2014 05:13:33 am

Thanks for the message. I am going to go brush my teeth again, to make certain those thoughts are out of there. Keep moving forward!!!

7/3/2014 02:27:55 pm

Janice, and I hope you'll let me know when I've got something stuck in my teeth! :)

Anna Shenk

6/28/2014 07:05:45 am

Abe
I understand that you are in the process of coming to terms with your privileged background and how it conditioned and shaped you. I appreciate your awareness of the need to do this.

Yes as Americans, I agree that we are indeed marinated in all the isms - and I see that we can unlearn these diminishing attitudes and ways of being and - come to realize our common humanity - It takes intention and effort - but I do not believe you need to see yourself or settle to be "...just a prejudiced asshole."

"Once we conclude that the basic nature of humanity is compassionate rather than aggressive, our relationship to the world around us changes immediately. Seeing others as basically compassionate instead of hostile and selfish helps us relax, trust, live at ease. It makes us happier." The Dalai Lama in The Art of Happiness, p 62 I would insert... seeing ourselves... and others as basically compassionate instead of hostile and selfish helps us relax, trust, live at ease. etc.
Anna

7/3/2014 02:31:32 pm

Anna, you have me thinking about the flip side of that way of thinking (seeing others as basically compassionate). In addition to seeing others that way, I must learn to see that I, too, am basically a compassionate person. If I can do that, then when unfeeling, ignorant, and cruel thoughts pass through me, I will be able to see that they are not part of my "core", and in so labeling them, I can let them pass by without acting according to them.

Caroline

6/29/2014 04:44:33 am

Very wise, Abe. As long as you're AWARE of your thoughts, and have the WISDOM to keep them as thoughts only, you're safe and so are the people around you.

7/3/2014 02:33:01 pm

Caroline, I hope so! Although I fear that my thoughts come through not only in my conscious actions, but also my unconscious ones. I may be able to recognize a ___ist thought in my head, but it still has an impact on me...even if I think I've avoided it.

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