So I haven't had alot to blog about, this was my work weekend, which just means I had to get up earlier than I would have liked. There's less pressure though on the weekends and fewer things that "HAVE" to get done.
Yesterday I had a little run in at work that got me thinking about cultural differences. Unfortunately I have adopted a lot of prejudices towards people and I'm not ashamed to say I'm sort of a racist, but I try to keep an open mind. Too many of the prejudices are preconceived ideas that sad to say have been proven to be true in my personal experience. Like the gypsy lady who stole my laundry time and then refused to leave, or the African Muslim man with his patriarchal, dominating view that women are beneath men and not worth of his respect, or the immigrant Syrian/Iraqi/Iranian (among others) women who've lived here for 20+ years and haven't bothered to integrate into society, not bothered to learn the language, never held a job, and then expect the state and government to give them money and benefits and take care of them and their entire extended family. I wish I didn't think less of them, or think of them as second rate citizens, but I think in some ways I can't help it. It puts me in a kind of funny position though, having moved to Sweden not too long ago myself. I understand the xenophobia that alot of people feel, but that at the same time isn't politically correct to talk about.
I've had people treat me differently because they had preconceived ideas about how I looked, or talked and all those times I welcomed the opportunity to prove them wrong and to be a positive experience and maybe get them to be more open minded in the future, but I never thought worse of them for thinking that way, because I know that more often than not, the rumor is true, and the reality is such. So I think I'm entitled to my prejudicies and my racist assumptions, while at the same time, I'm really really happy when I'm proven wrong.
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