It's a combination of nature and nurture. Sometimes it's a…
““It's a combination of nature and nurture. Sometimes it's a part of teen rebellion, either to adopt or to refuse to adopt theses prejudices. Sometimes it's personality --- some people, happily, are just not predisposed to hate, no matter what the situation. Some young people are exposed to a forceful personality at a critical juncture who transforms their way of thinking. Education is obviously a factor, as it wealth. But you know what I really think makes the difference? And I'll admit up front I have no way of proving this. But I think in the long run it has to do with the subject's...how to say it?... exposure to ideas. Never once have I encountered a well-read man who was also a hatemonger. There are no Ph.D.s in the KKK. I truly believe that people who expose themselves to the arts -- fine arts, visual arts, poetry, literature --- people who expose themselves to good ideas will not end up adopting bad ones. It's the guys who don't come into contact with new and better thoughts --- who do their work and pay the bills but aren't exposed to new ideas in any way that influences them --- who are most likely to hang on to the old bad ideas they learned as a child. - Ben Kincaid””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Exposure to diverse ideas and the arts reduces prejudice, while lack of exposure sustains it.
In simple terms: Arts and ideas combat hate.
Key Takeaway
Seek varied perspectives, engage with culture.
Themes
prejudice
education
arts
Mood
hopeful
concerned
Type
social
educational
When to use this quote
- school curricula
- community programs
- personal reading
- media consumption
Key Concepts
cognitive development
socialization
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we broaden artistic exposure?
- What barriers exist to idea exchange?
A Different Perspective
Access to arts is unequal, limiting impact.