00:00:05 Have you been infected?
00:00:07 No, no, not with an actual virus,
00:00:10 but with something that has infected people throughout history,
00:00:13 something that no one is completely immune to
00:00:16 —prejudice.
00:00:18 ‘Whoa! Whoa!’ you may think,
00:00:20 ‘Prejudice—me?
00:00:22 ‘That can’t be right.
00:00:24 I like all kinds of people!’
00:00:27 The truth is that all of us are capable of
00:00:30 or even guilty of prejudice to some degree.
00:00:33 But it can be hard to recognize in ourselves.
00:00:37 So, what is prejudice?
00:00:40 To overcome prejudice, you have to understand what it is.
00:00:44 Prejudice often means having a biased opinion,
00:00:47 either good or bad, of someone you don’t even know.
00:00:53 We can be prejudiced against people and even treat them badly
00:00:57 simply because of their age,
00:01:00 where they’re from,
00:01:03 what they look like,
00:01:06 how much money they have,
00:01:11 or because of other things that make people different from us.
00:01:15 But judging others based on appearances or superficial traits
00:01:19 before getting to know them would be unfair and unreasonable.
00:01:23 It would be like hating a food before you’ve even tried it.
00:01:27 Prejudice can lead us to give special treatment to some people
00:01:30 and exclude others.
00:01:33 It can make us act like we’re smarter
00:01:35 or better than people who are different.
00:01:38 But that can be dangerous.
00:01:40 The Bible says at Proverbs 16:18
00:01:43 that “pride is before a crash,
00:01:45 and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
00:01:49 Having a superior attitude can keep us from having real friends.
00:01:52 That can take the joy out of life.
00:01:54 If you recognize prejudice in your heart,
00:01:58 what can you do?
00:02:00 Try these steps:
00:02:02 Learn more about those around you.
00:02:04 What have they experienced in their life?
00:02:07 What are their talents?
00:02:14 When you appreciate others’ strengths,
00:02:16 it can be a powerful antidote to prejudice.
00:02:20 Next, take a look at your friends.
00:02:23 Do they all look, think,
00:02:25 and act a lot like you?
00:02:28 If so, follow the Bible’s advice
00:02:30 at 2 Corinthians 6:13 and “widen out.”
00:02:34 Make friends with people who are different from you.
00:02:38 But what if you discover
00:02:40 that some of them practice bad things?
00:02:43 In that case, stay away!
00:02:46 Their bad conduct can make you act badly.
00:02:50 In this world, prejudice is everywhere.
00:02:54 But we don’t have to let it control our thinking.
00:03:01 We can overcome prejudice
00:03:03 if we avoid reaching negative conclusions about people
00:03:05 before we get to know them,
00:03:08 make an effort to learn about others,
00:03:11 and try to make friends with people who are different from us.
00:03:14 The more we know about the people around us,
00:03:17 the more we can appreciate the things that make us different.
