Profiling: An Imperfect Necessity – PodKast
Posted by LK on 10/20/10 • Categorized as Culture War, Featured, Personal, PodKast, Two Americas
LK examines a key element in both the “war on terror” and illegal immigration, in a PodKast that’s bound to enlighten and inflame.
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The brilliant psychologist, Albert Ellis explained as he introduced a new psychotherapy paradigm, how basic we humans are. Our operating systems are simplistic; we think, then we feel, then we act. Your examples cited are on the money, LK. Our inert nature to “profile” begins with thinking “danger.” This thought or series of thoughts if given meaning – that is, taken as “truth,” leads to feelings. In this case, feelings of fear. Finally, following the feelings, we do again what is natural – we run or prepare to confront. The so-called negative thoughts are there for the sole purpose of survival. Using your “Zebra” analogy, if the guys who were checking out their colors did not have the negative information process, they may have rambled over to a gorgeous saber tooth tiger without the slightest hesitation, only to be eaten alive. Yes, use the tools we have, as they have been nurtured for our survival. Anything else is plain stupidity.
Exceptionally good exposition and analysis. And thanks for so ably differentiating between profiling and racial stereotyping. We have to be cognizant and on our guard against racial profiling; ethnicity is not the same thing as race. Let’s hope that Americans understand that courtesy and respect can’t be replaced by belligerent authority. We must insist that the supervisors come down hard on the latter.
As is the usual, LK has captured the essence of the issue.
A big part of the problem is the need today for everything to be “labelled”. They have to give it a name…..”profiling”.
It is no more than behaving in a way that man and woman have been doing since there have been men and women.
Unfortunately, with the ugly polarization that exists today, even this normal behavior, in which we all take part, has gotten a very bad name.