No one likes to admit they are racist or bear prejudices. Nor do they even like to be open and honest when they witness racist behaviour.
Interpretation
People often struggle to acknowledge their own prejudices and the prejudices of others.
This quote highlights the discomfort many feel in confronting their own racism and the racism they observe in society. It suggests that an honest confrontation of these issues is often avoided, indicating a need for greater awareness and openness in discussions about race and prejudice.
In practice
Use this quote in a discussion about the importance of self-reflection in conversations about race.
The era when the United States was the dominant global power is steadily coming to an end, and it must find a way of acknowledging this and framing its ambitions and interests accordingly. Instead of claiming the right to continuing primacy in east Asia, for example, it should seek to share that primacy with China.
If you are white, racism is too easily ignored and forgiven, regarded as of burning concern only to the ethnic minorities, and therefore of relatively marginal significance.
For 200 years, the West has been so dominant in the world that it's not really needed to understand other cultures, other civilizations. Because, at the end of the day, it could, if necessary by force, get its own way.
We still insist, by and large, in thinking that we can understand China by simply drawing on Western experience, looking at it through Western eyes, using Western concepts. If you want to know why we unerringly seem to get China wrong... this is the reason.
Just six years into the 21st century, one can say this is not shaping up to be anything like an American century. Rather, the U.S. seems much more likely to be faced with a very different kind of future: how to manage its own imperial decline.
While the West has enjoyed overwhelming global power, its moral preachings have been legitimised, and in effect enforced, by that power. But as that power begins to ebb, then the morality of its actions will be the subject of growing scrutiny and challenge.
We should know that faith is a gift of God, and that it may not be given to men, except it be graciously. Thus, indeed, all the good which we have is of God; and accordingly, when God rewardeth a good work of man, he crowneth his own gift.
Unselfishness is God. One may live on a throne, in a golden palace, and be perfectly unselfish; and then he is in God. Another may live in a hut and wear rags, and have nothing in the world; yet, if he is selfish, he is intensely merged in the world.
There is nothing like eavesdropping to show you that the world outside your head is different from the world inside your head.
The susceptibility of the average modern to pictorial suggestion enables advertising to exploit his lessened power of judgment.
In all things there is a law of cycles.
Lo, for I to myself am unknown, now in God's name what must I do?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.