Personal Conundrum In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird states “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I feel, personally, that this quote addresses the problem of the world, not just my own personal conundrum. However, I am not going to discuss the world, but rather myself. I find that many times I am to quick to judge, quick on the trigger if you will. I see certain people everyday and immediately think to myself, “Wow, they must be criminals” or “He/she must be a drug addict.” These are just some of my own personal thoughts. However, I know that these immediate beliefs and judgments are not acceptable. I know I am not the only person that does this sort of thing, but I also know that prejudice can quickly ruin any possible relationships that can be established. Atticus Finch said it perfectly, we cannot judge anyone until we have walked in their shoes, been in their position, really lived their lives. Not many people can actually say that they have done this; some cannot even say that they have attempted it. I know that I have tried. I can honestly say that I have made many attempts to avoid judging some people based on looks or personality. However, I cannot say that I have been completely successful. Over time, I …show more content…
I see it as a primal instinct, a self-defense mechanism. Society has deemed prejudice as bad and immoral; the way I see it, it is the stigma that goes along with prejudice that is bad and immoral. I believe that it is the arrogance of some people that causes prejudice to be deemed immoral. As I said before, I do not treat people based on my prejudice, I either act cautiously or comfortably. However, some people use their prejudice as justification for how they treat people. Some see themselves as better than others, and in my opinion, this is why prejudice is