Understanding Prejudice: Causes, Impact, and Combating Prejudicial Behavior

The word prejudice means having preconceived ideas about someone or a group based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, etc. These ideas may be self-reinforced through flawed reasoning, or they may be shaped by culture, media, and society. There are many types of prejudice, including racial prejudice or race prejudice, gender prejudice, or age prejudice.

Prejudice in behavior can mean that how someone acts is based on a preconceived idea about the people they’re interacting with or how the world works. For example, if an employer is prejudiced against older people or people of another race, they may not consider them when promoting from within the company. Or, if a lawyer was involved in a previous judicial inquiry about a person who belonged to a particular ethnic group, they may develop prejudiced beliefs about that ethnic group that may not be formed on just grounds. Prejudice can affect the legal system in many ways, as both prosecuting and defense lawyers may use it to further their case. 

Prejudice can also make it challenging for people to engage with others. Their preconceived ideas and prejudices can affect their social interactions. Over time, their repeated inability to connect with people due to preconceived notions can lead to limited interpersonal relationships and feelings of isolation, as well as impact their reputation.

Prejudice is generally negative. Premature assumptions can negatively impact mental health, social functioning, and quality of life, whether you’re a victim or a perpetrator. Victims of prejudice may be susceptible to issues with self-esteem and emotional health, which can lead to anxiety and stress in dealing with others, and the opinions intolerance may even lead to alienation. Perpetrators of prejudice can also find it challenging to interact with others as their preconceived ideas can negatively affect their social interactions. Repeatedly failing to have productive conversations can lead to feelings of isolation. Over time, prejudice can impact someone’s relationships, self-esteem, and well-being. Some people may argue that prejudice can be positive, such as when someone’s honesty and sincerity prejudiced people to think positively of them, but this prejudice can still be problematic as it implies a judgment was made based on limited information.

Prejudice

Prejudice is making decisions and judging things prematurely using made-up facts or ideas instead of taking the time to learn the truth. Prejudice describes a preconceived opinion or preceding judgment based on insufficient knowledge or an attitude of hostility toward a group or individual because of the characteristics the person believes they have.

Is prejudice negative?

Prejudice can affect relationships by significantly influencing how someone interacts with society. Preconceived ideas can negatively impact social interactions. If someone is unwilling to question such prejudices and figure out where the unfavorable opinion formed from misinformation came from, it can be difficult for them to interact with people, leading to awkward or even unpleasant social interactions. In addition to making it difficult to form new relationships, this can strain existing relationships as many people may not discuss the same prejudices and may be driven away by the patterns of inappropriate social behavior.

Prejudice can affect the mental health of both the victim and the perpetrator. Those who experience prejudice may feel that they are constantly being judged, leading to feelings of isolation or loneliness. Feeling judged can also lead to feelings of physical exhaustion, low motivation, insomnia, and fatigue. People in environments where they feel constant prejudice may experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. 

For perpetrators, their preconceived prejudice prejudiced ideas can make it difficult to interact with people, significantly affecting their ability to function socially, in school, or their careers. Prejudice can make it hard to build new relationships, and it can drive friends and family away. People who cannot overcome their prejudice or don’t think they have a problem may become socially isolated, significantly affecting their mental health.

Determining the differences between prejudice and discrimination can be difficult. The difference between them is that prejudice is the usually negative attitude or preconceived notion that someone has about another person or group, while discrimination is the action that results from these attitudes.

Prejudices can arise from ignorance as we sometimes have limited and often inaccurate information about others. Take time to learn about and understand the cultures of others; if you belong to a group that experiences prejudice, you can try to communicate your experience to create connections with others and challenge the stereotypes they may have. 

There may be things you can do on a community level as well, like researching how racism and other forms of prejudice have contributed to economic and societal disparities where you live and advocating for change in unfair treatment or a prejudice law on the books.

Can you overcome prejudice?

Overcoming prejudice as a victim can be a little trickier to address. It is not a victim’s responsibility to change people’s minds, and doing so may not even be possible. For victims, overcoming prejudice might focus on self-care and developing healthy coping skills. Some ways to do this might be to build a strong support network and develop strong associations with their race, gender identity, or cultural group. It can also be helpful to identify and reframe any negative thoughts that result from the prejudice of others and to push back against prejudice when possible.