|
PREJUDICE
The refrain of fools.
Bile masquerading as
savory conviction.
Self deception in the
quest for superiority.
What can fill our mind
and cut off our heart.
The oldest most potent
warrior in pride’s army.
An ever encompassing
quagmire for mud slingers.
‘Bad blood’ that flows
from one generation to another.
Raging cynicism well
hidden in the subterfuge of brotherly love.
Condescending attitude
that assuages fears while perpetuating ignorance.
Bantering diatribes
encouraged in one’s ‘tribal’ circle to provide an illusion of
invincibility.
- Perhaps not
wanting to appear reckless we ‘stick to’ our early ‘driver
training’.
- Perhaps the
comfort and confidence of certainty abhors the insecurity of
inquiry.
- Perhaps we prefer
simple, stable patterns rather than ever-changing
kaleidoscopes.
- Perhaps everyone
has a tendency to cover their canvas using broad brush
strokes and a few favorite colors.
- Perhaps we must
cope with inclinations to form convictions about anything or
anyone that differs from what is ‘acceptable’ in our group.
- Perhaps overly
protected gardens deteriorate lacking essential nutrients
and cross pollination; perhaps growth thus becomes
impossible.
- Perhaps
self-preservation favors homogeneity; perhaps we naturally
disdain differences; perhaps however, diversity is what has
generated our dominating species.
- Perhaps we depend
upon our retrospections no matter how distorted and
misleading; perhaps confidence in a magnanimous God can
encourage us to be open, honest and receptive.
- Perhaps you will
always be plagued by denigrating thoughts due to encounters
with ‘scuzzy low-lives’; perhaps the only antidote to
self-corrupting vitriol is a commitment to kindness and
acceptance of human foibles.
- Perhaps
unwavering convictions skew our perspective; perhaps this
narrow ‘world view’ condones rigid intolerance and
irreverence for the beliefs of others; perhaps inflicted
with this chronic myopia we can never relax with gracious
conviviality.
ESSAY ON PREJUDICE by EDWIN
O’SHEA
RETURN HOME
©2007-2008 Edwin O'Shea and definingyourworld.com. All or
part of only one topic, including all definitions and essay,
may be used without written permission. Please see full
copyright notice on home page.
|
