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Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » What is the difference between PREFERENCE and PREJUDICE? I PREFER broccoli and I am PREDJUDICED AGAINST CANDIED YAMS. You too?
RosieG

What is the difference between PREFERENCE and PREJUDICE? I PREFER broccoli and I am PREDJUDICED AGAINST CANDIED YAMS. You too?

So there we are aren't we? Our preferences are really prejudices masquerading as something benign and divinely fine and not threatening. What's in a word? Being JUDGMENTAL is preferring someone to someone else or something to something else. So is prejudice. You can parse words all you want but the fact remains the  moment you PREFER something you are judging and being prejudicial are you not?

Posted - February 14, 2019
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Responses


  • 46117
    Oh come on.  This is not even a good comparison.

    being prejudiced does not have anything to do with disliking something for a valid reason.


    Prejudice is choosing to dislike something for no reason at all.
      February 14, 2019 11:25 AM MST
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  • 113301
    A definition of PREJUDICE is "preconceived opinion either FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE". I am prejudiced against eating sweetbreads. That is the STOMACH of an animal I believe. I have never tasted it nor do I intend to taste it. To PREFER means to "like better". I PREFER peace to war. I am PREJUDICED AGAINST WAR. I AM PREJUDICED PREDISPOSED PRETERNATURALLY in favor of peace. I PREFER it. I have never personally experienced war but I know IN ADVANCE I am against it. I am prejudiced against it. I prefer its opposite. Now I see no difference in any of those Sharon. You do. Swell. Use whatever words you like and I shall do the same. Isn't that what language gives you? Options? Thank you for your reply! This post was edited by RosieG at February 15, 2019 8:03 AM MST
      February 15, 2019 6:32 AM MST
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  • 6023
    I found this from 2015 ... written by Michael David Cobb Bowen, Think your way out of your racial world.

    A preference is decided by one who has evaluated evidence and compared alternatives. A prejudice is decided towards or against something that has not yet been evaluated. Note 'pre' in prejudice means 'before', judging before. 

    It's significantly different for people than for commodity objects. You can decide whether you have a preference for bananas or oranges because all bananas and oranges are pretty much the same. It would be less fair to say you prefer Fords over Nissans if you've only driven one Ford and one Nissan. One would have to be devoid of common sense to have known 10 black guys and decided that they adequately represent 600 million Africans on the planet.  Even my dog sniffs every butt to decide who he likes.
      February 14, 2019 11:38 AM MST
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful reply Walt. I appreciate it. I KNOW how prejudice and preference is used typically. I am trying to shake that up just a tiny bit.

    I am PREJUDICED AGAINST WAR. I have never experienced being in one. But I KNOW I would not like it without having experienced it directly. I am PREJUDICED against eating sweetbreads. I have never tasted it but isn't it the stomach of some animal? I PREFER peace and am PREJUDICED toward peace . You do understand my point don't you? One of the definitions of prejudice is "preconceived opinion either FAVORABLE or UNFAVORABLE". We can liven up communication by simply allowing words to play other roles than the standard ordinary typical average off-the-shelf meanings we fall back on because they require so little of us.  You are a reasonable person. I betcha you are PREJUDICED toward and against things you have never experienced too. You PREFER those you are PREJUDICED TOWARD. I really see no difference. But I do understand people resenting being forced to think otherwise about language. It takes more time and more thought. It's easier to just grab what you always grab than to go foraging about for something a little different that will do the same thing. But I am rambling. Apologies! :)
      February 15, 2019 6:48 AM MST
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  • 44231
    I agree. The word prejudice is bandied about too often. People forget it means, as you said, pre judge. My wife uses it falsely and I have to correct her. Do the research.
      February 15, 2019 8:06 AM MST
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  • 113301
    ((hugs)) Platonic hug old friend. Thank you for your reply. I REALLY appreciate it E! :)
      February 15, 2019 8:10 AM MST
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  • 6098
    Yes of course.  But does not follow that I then should want to stop others from eating yams or should try to eradicate the species or anything like that.  But we naturally tend to feel more comfortable among people with similar likes and dislikes and similar values to ours. 
      February 15, 2019 7:02 AM MST
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  • 44231
    Sweet breads are made from glands of mainly pigs and lambs. Stomach linings are called tripe.
      February 15, 2019 8:03 AM MST
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  • 113301
    Right sweetie! Thank you for the good catch. I don't eat tripe either. I KNOW I wouldn't like it. I mean knowing what it is how could you not barf? Apologies if you do eat it and like it E. Thank you for your helpful reply. I appreciate it. Now I used to eat and enjoy CALVE'S LIVER the way my mom prepared it when I was a kid. So did my sister. I have never made it but she did something wonderful with it and use onion and parsley and we'd put lemon on it. No bad chewy veiny areas All very tender and never smelled like liver. Gosh it's been decades since I thought of that. Ever eat liver? This post was edited by RosieG at February 15, 2019 8:07 AM MST
      February 15, 2019 8:06 AM MST
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  • 44231
    I have eaten neither sweetbreads nor tripe and don't intend to unless served to me at a dinner party. (Which I never go to.)
      February 15, 2019 8:09 AM MST
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