Thread: life in school

It goes a whole lot deeper than just American public schools. Or american schools in general. Or even schools, in general. In fact, I think we've touched on something deeply ingrained in human psychology, to the point of being irrevocable.

On a psychiatric level, people make decisions in almost every sphere of their lives under the influence of many different mental processes; and though not all of those processes are based on this abstract concept of "popularity," a great many of these processes are linked to this concept. When employees are hired for any given job, very often the employer, the hiring party making the decision, is not aware that they are under the influence of several factors of prejudice - not, mind you, the conscious and active thought of prejudice, whereby a person makes a choice they are aware of to treat a person as different - but rather, the subconscious prejudice that is drawn from associations and mental paradigms formed throughout a person's experience. Is the applicant attractive? Are they young? Do they speak well? Do they have visual ticks? Are they nervous, do they look honest? Do they dress well? Do they meet my gaze?

Understandable, maybe, in an interview, but consider that this process of interchanges takes place every single time a customer approaches a server at a hot dog stand. everytime a court secretary takes paperwork from plaintiffs and defendants to begin a case. everytime a poor person applies for aid, a cop meets a citizen, a soldier comes in contact with a local populace.. these prejudicial thoughts are deep within the makeup of human beings.

Consider that even the very concepts which drive us to argue about political systems, or social systems, being right or wrong, these concepts, these pressures, they stem from our understanding of this sociological system. What is a rich man? What is a poor man? What is a happy man? What is a happy woman? A happy mother? Do we consider when we ask these questions, what do these people have, what do they own, how do they live? Do we consider their houses and cars, food and clothes, way of speaking, cultural norms, religon, interests, fears? These very same things are the concepts that have created "popularity," since the very first day when mankind's society ceased to be run by the Strongest Guy in Town.

There's nowhere in the pantheon of human thought that this concept is more evident, than when one examines the good intentions of people. People want self-improvement; this is constant. Is it spiritual, financial, social, physical? No matter - it's the same thing. We are actually using (necessary) prejudicial thoughts and mindsets to disseminate Good Traits from Bad, to plot our course of self-improvement throughout life. What is a Good Trait to one, might not be a Good Trait to another. Some people, when I tell them I don't have a car or cell phone, react with shock and disdain - "what's the matter with you? how do you live like that?" - and others get it - "Awesome, helps the planet, saves you money" etc. .. it's all based on their own personal prejudice of Good/Bad...

This preference to "popularity" (a function of evolution and genetic recognition) is a trait of humanity, I put it to you, and nothing marked "made in USA."