by Vincent LeVine

Created on: April 30, 2008   Last Updated: November 16, 2008

"People are all the same- only different!" It is not known who said it first, but many have repeated it. Individuals are born into this world with little knowledge of what differences are; however, an understanding can be learned through experience. A peek inside an office in any progressive corporation might surprise those only familiar with traditional organizations. They look more like an open box of assorted crayolas than a twenty pack of unsharpened number 2's. Not only is there a diverse range of colors, there are also many other differences not so easily identified. Although age, gender, able-bodiedness, and ethnicity are more easily identified, sexual orientation, religion, and socioeconomic status require some careful discovery. Why then, have these differences created such space between so many individuals?

Unlike animals, human beings have the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror. After watching many dogs bark at themselves in mirrors, it is apparent that they lack the ability to comprehend their own reflections. Humans understand their mirrored image and are capable of identifying others who possess similar characteristics. Mirrors therefore, are responsible for first introducing people to bias by helping them establish their own identities, ones they will later use in making comparisons. Human beings who have seen their reflections, understand their own characteristics, and have become comfortable with them, begin looking for similar features in others in an attempt obtain a certain level of comfort in the social environment.

Socialization means getting used to environmental elements through continued exposure. The more familiar people are with someone or something, the less fearful and the more socialized they become. When they lack exposure and do not find any obvious similarities they can become fearful- not too unlike the dog that barks at his own, unfamiliar image. As more experience is gained these judgments become easier to make, though in dogs their roots appear to be at least in part, hereditary in nature.

Characteristics such as age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion all impact the way in which people react to one another. Individuals react to these factors similar to the way they react first to reflections in a mirror and later to the similar characteristics they find in others. Individuals able to identify similar characteristics in others are more likely to be accepting; conversely, unfamiliar characteristics can be responsible

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>