[4889] in Depressing_Thoughts
Re: core emotions
marc@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (marc@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Tue Jun 25 23:55:44 1996
>> But i find it enflaming to think that some sets or subsets of
>> values/beliefs will be passed on. Do we not try to be better than
>> those who came before us? Do we not try to make the world better for
>> our children?
(Most) Parents do not "teach" intolerance per se. They saw it in
their parents, practice it in front of their children, and it just
"happens". As you point out, self-improvement is hard, and this means
it doesn't always rub off on the children. Parents will simply pass
on their own beliefs, whatever they are.
Consider a liberal. She is outwardly tolerant, and generally has her
heart in the right place. However, sometimes she makes comments which
I would consider racist. Nothing violent or discriminatory, but more
like "have you noticed all the <foo>s here?" Frequently, the answer
is no, I hadn't.
The problem is that human nature, when things get bad, takes mostly
innocuous comments like the above and mutates them into "have you
noticed all the <foo>s in this office at which I'm interviewing?".
This is the beginning of a slippery slope with plenty of historical
advantages.
