Discrimination In The Ways We Lie By Stephanie Ericson
1309 Words6 Pages
Discrimination
Vivienne Ming once said, “Discrimination is not done by villains. It’s done by us.” Many do not recognize or acknowledge discrimination. Most of the time, individuals allow discrimination to be classified as bullying. However, true discrimination is real. It comes in various forms and it is the population’s job to be familiar with it and use that knowledge to destroy it. Racial, appearance-based, sexual, and religious discrimination all hugely affect friendships/relationships, the workplace, and society as a whole.
Discrimination is known as unjust treatment of a particular group. In The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson, she discusses stereotypes and cliches (Ericsson 478). Discrimination is often a stereotypical device…show more content… It could be disguised as bullying or even as someone’s opinion. Simply saying ¨she is ugly” is considered appearance-based discrimination. Many believe that attractive people are superior in some type of way. This belief contradicts the stereotype of a “nerd” or “geek.” Many believe a nerd to be a very smart, unattractive person. However, if the said nerd is very intelligent, he or she could be superior to the attractive person. In many career fields, employers may not give someone a job because of their appearance. Depending on the job classification, the employer may feel as if the face of the company should be prettier, taller, or skinnier. In the book Patterns for College Writing: A Rhetorical Reading Guide, Deborah L. Rhode states in Why Looks Are the Last Bastion of Discrimination, “In the nineteenth century, many American cities banned public appearances by ‘unsightly’ individuals” (Rhode 246). The government discriminated against certain people because of the way they looked. Even though the government has evolved since this period, certain businesses and individuals still partake in discrimination. Who has the right to say a particular person is attractive or isn’t? Each and every person is beautiful in his or her own way and no one is going to realize this until they look beyond the appearances, cliches, and stereotypes. Actually getting to know a person and learning their interests and hear their thoughts and ideas is when you truly become familiar with that person’s beauty. So before one judges a person by their appearance, let me familiarize you with a phrase that my grandmother so frequently reminds me of: pretty is as pretty does. This is so relevant to the fact that what is on the inside is what makes a person