Sunday, May 11, 2014

‘Discrimination: the Underlying Question’


Friday, April 25, 2014

My recent entry on discrimination was received with some criticism. It has been picked apart and analyzed because I had not been more specific and I had presented myself as someone who does not discriminate. In fact, I do. The critique behind what I said was accurate, but I am flawed. If you are a regular visitor, then hopefully you will allow me some leeway. It was never my intention to present myself as someone having a perfect thought process. I try to be clear and direct but I am not always successful when it comes time for me to effectively transcribe my thoughts onto paper.

I do discriminate. It is not an act of consciousness, but rather, sub conscious.
The most poignant example: my definition of the type of man that I am attracted to would imply that a man without those characteristics is unattractive to me. It clearly suggests that I will discriminate solely on my own self appointed measurements and requirements. While the word “discriminate” was not specifically bandied about, the notion of discrimination was omnipresent.

Q Do I believe that there are some forms of discrimination that are completely acceptable?
A Intuitively, I want to say NO, however we all do it, therefore we must feel alright about it. If we don’t, then we ignore the right/wrong aspect within our moral compass. That would mean that we spend an unbelievable amount of time convincing ourselves otherwise.

Q When it comes to a romantic partner, is it okay to discriminate simply based upon beauty or lifestyle? (If so, is it everyone’s right to discriminate?)
A Yes. I believe that there are some pairings that will not always come together. When it comes to romantic partnership there are many things that have to align themselves in order for it to work. People are typically motivated by physical attraction at first, That said, if I am not physically attracted then it is highly unlikely that I would ever engage in a conversation with a romantic pursuit in mind. That does not mean however that the other person wouldn’t find me attractive, engage me, pursue me and that would in turn, cause me to grow attracted to them – because it is completely possible. (Complicated and confusing, but possible…)

Q How does a person surrender to the notion that it is understandable and perhaps even forgivable to be discriminated against?
A I have no idea how to answer this question. I have toyed with it and no matter what I say, it doesn’t make sense because I don’t believe anyone should accept being discriminated against. Saying that; ‘it’s not right, but it’s okay because it’s human’, doesn’t set well with me.

Q Do I think that I could ever fall in love with someone who doesn’t meet all of my requirements?
A Yes. There is something that happens within the pursuit of something. The process of getting to know someone and falling in love allows me to accept who they are. It develops an unbelievable amount of acceptance.

It is impossible for me to successfully separate the real differences in my discriminatory acts without sounding shallow but I will try to sum it up:

I do not discriminate upon religious preference, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or economic status. Since I do have a concise understanding of disease, I am not judgmental, prejudicial or discriminatory toward alcoholics, drug addicts or people suffering from mental illness. I will however, discriminate when it comes to a personal romantic partnership. If that represents a serious flaw, then let the world beware.

To view the original entry, read here:

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