prejudice.

someone recently {commented} on my last post saying that there are no reasons for people's prejudices. i disagree. from the day we are born, we learn what to think and how to react to our environments. unfortunately, many of our teachers [parents, the media, horrendous life experiences] show us the wrong ways to interact. it has been my experience that coming to college has opened my eyes to a more diverse [albeit still a rather miniscule representation] population that has made me question preconceived notions that were engrained in me by my parents, my home church, and my home community. i am thankful for the moral groundings my youth provided me, but i have been forced [both willingly and unwillingly] to enlarge my view on the world and try to see situations from many different points of view. had i remained in my hometown and attended the local college i don't think i would have had the same experience. as hard as it's been at times, i wouldn't trade it for the world. i think the first step towards understanding and reversing prejudices is figuring out where they come from. hopefully more people will understand this and begin healing the world's hurts, first through themselves and their own misconceptions.