The Discriminating Citizen

I don’t think as things stand right now that we’ll ever rid ourselves as a species of discrimination. Why? Because the more I read, the more and more convinced I become that discrimination is genetic. It has been written into our very code, along with our drive for procreation and our fight or flight instinct. It is a remnant from our distant past that still very much haunts us today.

‘I’m not racist’ some of you are probably saying right now and though that is probably disputable (we try not to be racist, but I think it is very difficult to not be racist at all) it’s beside the point. After all, some of us choose not to procreate and other choose not to fight or run, but as a whole species the greater majority still does. We’re not just racist as individuals; we’re racist as a species. If you don’t believe that, then just look at how badly we treat the other species on this mud ball.

It’s natural (read: nature has installed it in us) to be afraid of the unfamiliar. After all, in the tooth and claw world the unfamiliar is generally dangerous and very likely competing for the same resources as we are. What is more, the unfamiliar generally shares a great deal less genetic code with us than the familiar does.

Now, of course, we seem to have partially evolved past our genes (look into meme theory if you’re interested in that). Because of that we’ve become aware of our discrimination and it has become possible for some of us to choose to ignore or reframe our instincts, but that is certainly not the same as eliminating the problem. Discrimination is still our initial reaction and often it is so subtle that we hardly even notice ourselves doing it.

For example, in a job interview a person of your own race walks in and you greet them warmly and, as normally happens when you greet somebody warmly, he responds warmly. Immediately a positive rapport is established between you and that makes you think better of that individual. Then a person of a different race comes in, one you’ve had little contact with. You try to behave the same, but because of your innate discrimination you start out just a little less warmly. The other person notices this slight hesitation and, though he might not ascribe it to racism, responds at the same level. The interview naturally doesn’t go quite as well. All things being equal, it would be natural for you to choose the first person, all the while convinced that no discrimination took place.

What can we do about it? Well as individuals, being aware of it helps a great deal, as we can then consider it in our choices and actions. As a race? It would be nice to think that this type of discrimination might one day evolve out of us and it well might, but unfortunately evolution is a very slow process and our lives will have finished ten times over before that happens. We might want to think of something slightly faster than that.