What Are Microagressions?
A microaggression is a type of insult or lewd comment made by someone in a dominant group to a person in a minority group. It’s not the same as overt racism or homophobia. The context of these types of insults and indignities is vital because they aren’t the same as other forms of discrimination.
These types of insults are not intended to cause harm, and the person perpetuating them might have no idea that they’re offensive. The underlying meaning of microaggression is that it reveals bias. Although the term microaggression was originally used to refer to white-on-black offenses, anyone can be affected by these types of insults. Some people claim that people of color are just too sensitive to these types of insults, but this can be a microaggression of its own.
Even if you’re not aware of the potential consequences of your actions, your brain is still capable of making assumptions that are harmful to people from minority groups. This is because the information that you’ve absorbed from society can reinforce stereotypes that are harmful to people from different backgrounds.
Your brain is capable of making assumptions about people based on their physical characteristics. One of the most critical steps that you can take to avoid making these assumptions is to recognize the role of society and institutions in the development of these stereotypes.
If you make assumptions that are harmful to people from minority groups, then you’re perpetuating a belief system that’s been created for the sole purpose of discriminating against certain individuals. It’s also important to learn how institutions were designed to suppress people from minority groups.
The idea that people can see beyond race is a tempting belief, and it’s also very harmful to people from different backgrounds because it can reinforce stereotypes. The concept of colorblindness refuses to recognize people’s varying experiences due to racism and race. It also undermines what they have gone through.
Being an empathetic person is very different from being a racist or homophobic person. In order to be effective, you have to be willing to listen to and believe what the person is saying. You also have to realize that the things that they’re going through are true for them. This is one of the first steps to avoiding microaggressions in your thoughts and speech.