July/August 1998
Articles on the theme "Pride & Prejudice"
Prejudice Can Kill
by Patrick Plaskett
Why is some pride good and some not
so good. What is the connection between pride and prejudice.
Loving Authority
by Barbara Bedingfield
Teaching children to become selfless individuals, having a sense of gratitude,
and able to show care and consideration for others.
The Same Only Different
by Bob Gonzalez
Of astral travel, contact with the
departed and the interpretation of dream symbols.
Random Acts of Kindness
by Rev. Pat Cross
Discarding human attitudes and recovering
our oneness with God and each other.
The Magic of Differences
by Judith Sherven PhD and James Sniechowski PhD
Maybe it is not what we have in common
but the differences that really make a relationship.
A Threat To Survival
by Cydné Su Battreall
A battle with cancer. How pride and
prejudice can get in the way of making rational decisions.
Forgiveness and Compassion
by David Simon
A discussion of the origins of pride
and prejudice, and the nurturing of their opposite attitudes: forgiveness
and compassion.
No Room for Pride or Prejudice
by Dr. Audrey Craft Davis
On the importance of being able to
stand alone as an individual, so that one can enjoy a relationship free
of pride or prejudice.
Unlimited Vision
by JoAnne Gregory
Freeing ourselves from the limitations
of restricted points of view to create a reality of our choice.
Personal Pride and Legal Prejudice
by Constance Felos
Dreams of the good life, earthly dreams,
bad dreams, possible dreams and the ultimate dream.
Too Much!
by David Findlay
How going to extremes leads to the
negative aspects pride and prejudice. Underlying roles and identities.
Other Feature Articles
Natural Health Q&A
by Elizabeth Fenton and Renee Gillombardo
The psychological and physical benefits
of walking, plus other factors that affect our mental health.
What is . . . Hypnosis
by Alvin Bartz PhD
What hypnosis is and what it isn't.
The benefits of hypnosis. Some common misconceptions.
The Same Only Different
by Bob Gonzalez
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . . . any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. -- John Donne
The body is our vehicle of earthly life. Through the body we feel, live, move and have our being. It is primarily from the body that we derive our sense of self or identity. It is also by virtue of the body that we perceive ourselves as separate from other living beings. "Of course I am separate," you say. "I am here and you are there. When I want to move, I do it regardless of whether you move or not. If I bump my head, I feel pain quite independent from what you may feel. What I am feeling -- the actual sensation -- I alone feel." Yes, separation is obvious at the surface level of the body and the senses. However, there is more to living than is to be found in just the body and its feelings.
"Self" is an Old English word meaning "same." It is further defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as "the total, essential or particular being of one person. The qualities distinguishing one person from another; personality or character; individuality." The word "identity" comes from the Latin word "idem," also meaning "the same." We can infer from these definitions that the self -- who we are or believe we are -- is determined by that combination of traits with which we choose to identify. From the plethora of characteristics available to us in the appearance and behavior of ourselves and others, each one of us selects the ones we most believe to be equal with our internal conception of "ME." At the same time that we seek to claim our equality with certain traits, we also seek to distinguish ourselves from those we perceive as "NOT-ME." People with common names such as John Smith or Bob Gonzalez want to make sure that people know they are the John Smith who plays jazz trumpet and the Bob Gonzalez who contributes to Tampa Bay New Times. Thus we all define ourselves by ways in which we are the same as well as ways in which we are different.
Beyond knowing ourselves as individuals distinct from other individuals comes our opinion of ourselves and others. A sense of self-respect, of feeling worthy of drawing breath alongside all living creatures, is known as "pride" and is generally held to be a good thing. However, when it extends to thoughts of self being greater than others, then pride treads in the territory where it holds renown for being Deadly Sin Number One, the one that 'goeth before the fall.'
Also, the more one indulges in inflated self-concern, the less one is aware of the value of others outside of how they may serve one's egotistical needs. This ignorance of others leads to the perspective of prejudice, a view that draws immediate and rigid conclusions about the essential character of others based on seemingly similar surface traits they share. The ignorant self 'pre-judges' others based on minimal, trivial and usually faulty information which it uses to justify its conviction of its own individual superiority.
It is ironic that we use the word 'individual' to assert our separation from one another when the word actually means 'indivisible', a totality or whole. Yes, we are indivisible beings in our own right but we are also components of the totality of All Life. There is an essential unity to the infinitely diverse surface reality perceived by our senses. If we simply attend closely to the motions of the many distinctly individual creatures that pervade the universe, we realize how similar we all are. We all breathe the same air, eat, sleep, procreate, pursue pleasure and feel pain. Our similarities are essential and our distinctions are ephemeral. That which makes us the same -- our fundamental existence -- is constant, while that which makes us different -- our outward appearance -- is ever-changing.
The outcome of separationist thinking is a prejudicial, adversarial attitude leading to conflict and bloodshed, while the result of unity thinking is a familial attitude leading to cooperation and peace. My ultimate goal in living is to intensify my concentration on the sameness of all living beings and allow any preoccupation with the differences that separate me from them -- such as bodily traits -- to fade. The other constructive attitude is to realize that, since they are so blatantly obvious, why not heartily accept and even celebrate one another's differences? Celebrating the uniqueness of others while they celebrate yours can be a wonderfully effective means of experiencing unity and expanded consciousness. I use the following affirmative statement to orient my thoughts in this direction and I offer it to you in the likelihood that you may wish to adopt it as well: ALL IS ONE AND I AM ONE WITH ALL.
I have confidence that if this thought consistently occupies my mind that it can positively affect my actions and lead me to a true realization of the Unity of All Life.
Bob Gonzalez is a freelance writer who also, with his family, manages Ansley's Natural Marketplaces in Tampa, Florida. (813) 239-2700. E-mail: lopergon@gte.net.