|
|
| Customer Service Information |
|
|
Becoming Excellent: Outsmarting Racism
Thinkers know better than to be racist. It's generally understood that racists are, well, not thinkers. It's not that racists are necessarily stupid--it's that they are ignorant. We like to think that racists are choosing to hang on to their bias because they don't know any better. Those of us who are educated--or who think--can overcome any bias through information and intention. Right? Tell that to our brains. A recent study done at Dartmouth College presents some interesting ideas about racism and the brain. According to the widely published results of this research, racism can actually cause stupidity. Even professors from esteemed universities like Stanford are quoted as saying such things as "Racism really does make people stupid." Well, that makes for an interesting sound bite, but it's a bit misleading. Here's what happened: white test subjects with a bias against black faces performed poorly on a cognitive skills test after being interviewed by an African American person. The more biased the subjects were (based on their scores on the Harvard implicit association test), the worse they did. What's fascinating about this study is that it is the first to show through magnetic resonance imaging that there is a particular area of the brain associated with efforts to say or do the right thing. This "executive control" portion of the brain showed increased activity during both the implicit association test and the interview. Those who had scores indicating a greater bias showed the most activity in their brains in this area as they struggled to refrain from making racist choices or offensive remarks. As this poor little section of the brain was overloaded, subjects were temporarily unable to perform thinking tasks. So, really, the compelling notion here isn't simply that racism makes you stupid. It's that the presence of someone about whom we feel a bias affects our ability to think. If you live in a fairly homogenous community, your bias--and the "executive control" part of your brain--isn't really tested. However, if on a daily basis you interact with people toward whom you have a racial bias, your thinking becomes impaired, at least temporarily. What does this mean long term? Are racist individuals in integrated communities "dumbed down" because their overtaxed brains can't cope? Is there a cumulative effect? A whole lot more research needs to be done to learn more about this. No intelligent person wants to acknowledge that they may have a bias in terms of race. We know in our minds that it is unfair, unwarranted, and detrimental to have a negative view of someone on the basis of race. We also know it's politically incorrect. We like to think we're smart enough to outwit any insidious form of racism that may be lurking in the back of our brains. Well, our brains don't know that. These tests measure what's going on in our brains, not what we want to have going on. The results can be quite shocking. The good news is that there's a part of our brains that is trying to behave properly! This study was done with educated, intelligent, fairly progressive white students at Dartmouth College. Though it isn't mentioned in the report, it's likely that these students didn't consider themselves racist. What happens if the same study is conducted with those who readily admit their prejudice? If we know better, and we want to avoid being racist, how do we go about doing so? We assume that more contact with individuals of other races will help us overcome our prejudices, but that sometimes backfires. Integrated communities are rarely racism-free. Contact doesn't eliminate racism--greater understanding and positive relationships do. Think about your brain and your own bias regarding race. The first step is to be honest: virtually every single person on the planet has a racial bias of some kind. The next step is to take a test to find out for yourself where you stand. And then? What next? We learn racism. We know enough about the brain and how it works to recognize that whatever we learn we can also unlearn. Absorb everything you can about other ethnicities and cultures. Read, travel, see movies, listen to music, try new foods--do everything possible to develop a voracious curiosity and robust enthusiasm for people of all races. Stimulate your brain in an effort to render that "executive control" area irrelevant. Train your mind while building relationships with individuals of other races. Outsmart your brain's racism by becoming colorblind. Thinkers know better than to be racist. The challenge is to free our brains of lingering doubts. Immerse yourself in the richness of the world. It'll make you smarter--and more excellent--in every way. About The Author Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. She serves up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief in her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage. To subscribe, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Get Rid of Frustration and Self-Pity I've yet to meet the person who never struggles with frustration. It comes with the territory of being human. Like many negative emotions, it's not wrong or weak to feel frustrated. What is crucial, however, is how we handle our frustration. How to Change Any Belief I have studied the idea of changing thoughts to create a new reality for some years. There are many books on the subject. They talk of visualisation, affirmations, positive thinking, overcoming the past, transcending your beliefs, prayer, meditation, use of structural tension or creating intention to change. I have used all of these techniques to change beliefs with varying degrees of success. Some beliefs seem quite easy to change, while others require a lot more work. Feel Those Feelings and Develop Emotional Intelligence There is an old joke about a man who is walking home along the street in the early hours of a weekend and he sees another man, who is obviously very drunk, on his hands and knees, searching for something. "What are you looking for?" he asks the drunked man. "My house keys" the man replies. "Where did you drop them?" he asks. "Two streets away" he slurs. "Why aren't you looking there then", he asks, puzzled. "Because the light's much better here." Universal Thought Systems/Forgiveness Philosophy of Forgiveness: Im Loving Me... Right Where I Am I heard these words from a client who had been struggling for weeks to find peace in her estranged relationship with her daughter. Because she 'new better' she kept telling herself that her feelings were wrong and to shape up and get over it. Heal and Release the Past I had a completely different idea for my main article but certain events that happened today helped me to tune into my soul and listen for what I really want to write about. Let Go of Resentment Maureen worked in an office with twenty other people, processing checks. She didn't particularly like her job, but she didn't particularly dislike it either. Getting ahead in her career wasn't important to her until the day that her friend and co-worker Betty was promoted to be the boss of the unit. Betty had not being doing the job as long as Maureen had, but Betty was always cheerful, hardworking and ambitious, where Maureen had been low-key and easy going. Mindfulness and Curiosity: Inspiring Affection "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." -------Albert Einstein Wahms, Dont Compare Yourself With Others! Wahms, do you constantly compare yourself with others and come up short? Creating Icebergs Out Of Hostility Have you ever dreaded an upcoming presentation, meeting or function because you just knew that the group would be hostile? Maybe you had heard that these people are very critical, even aggressive. Do You Neglect The Power Of Your Mind? James Allen, who wrote the masterpiece, As a Man Thinketh, talks about the vital power of the mind in creating success. "All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct results of his own thoughts. In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute. A man's weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man's; they are brought about by himself, and not by another; and they can only be altered by himself, never another. His condition is also his own, and not another man's. His suffering had his happiness are evolved from within. As he thinks, so is he as he continues to think, so he remains." Questions and Affirmations - The Art (and Science) Of Talking To Yourself I Hear Voices? From Stress to Adventure Ten tips to transform your move into a creative life transition. Words, Ignorance, And Casper The Friendly Ghost! Words, Ignorance, and Casper The Friendly Ghost! The Language of Confidence The language we use programs our brains. Mastering our language gives us a great degree of mastery over our lives and our destinies. It is important to use language in the best way possible in order to dramatically improve your quality of life. What Do You Believe? "If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." --Mahatma Gandhi (1869 ? 1948) Transform Your Behavior Painlessly by Using the 5-Minute Success Strategy Recently, I coached a young woman whom I'll call Mary about how to make critical lifestyle changes. Mary had always struggled with her weight. She had no control over her eating and she could not maintain a consistent exercise program. That's when I suggested that Mary try the 5-Minute Success Strategy to help her overcome her problem behavior. The beauty of this strategy is that you can use it both to eliminate an unwanted behavior and establish a desired one. Are You Thinking The Right Thoughts? "A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses." ? As A Man Thinketh Succeed with a Positive Mental Attitude "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." ? Thomas Jefferson Growth From Discontent: Lifes Way Of Giving You A Little Push That strange, gut-wrenching feeling you have is not the sushi you had for lunch. It's your soul trying to give you a nudge to do something. A word for that feeling is "discontent." Discontent is a state of not being satisfied or fulfilled in your current situation.
|
