The key takeaway I got after listening to Dr. Bezio’s “making assumptions” podcast was that we actively need to separate what we know from what we assume. More or less, when need to think before we speak: is what I’m about to claim a factual statement or just something I’ve been raised to believe?
When I was in elementary school, my parents and teachers taught me that drugs were for criminals. So throughout my younger years, I went on to preach that if you did drugs, you were a “thug” a “delinquent” and a “criminal.” I didn’t take into consideration other viewpoints because coming from a position of authority, there were no other viewpoints. I was only being told the same perspective. It wasn’t until middle school after I left my elementary school that I became surrounded by peers and teachers who held different perspectives about drugs and explained how taking drugs did not automatically equal being a criminal. It made a lot more sense and prompted me to actually look into the facts about drug use and incarceration. I went from a staunch anti-drugs always nine-year-old to a heavy supporter of the legalization of marijuana and the freeing of those incarcerated under marijuana charges.
A lot of assumptions, particularly like the ones I held, have to do with education and being exposed to different perspectives until you can choose your own based on what you believe, not what others believe. This also means giving a fair opportunity to develop your own beliefs and not be forced into them; I often think of the Westboro Baptist Church when it comes to being able to develop your own beliefs, and I think of the member who finally broke free from the cult-like church and realized how different the world was from how she was taught it was. It was only because she was exposed via the internet to different ideas that she ended up leaving the church, but the majority of the people in the Westboro Baptist Church continue to stay because they never had that exposure.
I really enjoyed your first paragraph about the perception of drugs. I too agree that as a child, adults continuously harped on the idea that drugs are the worst thing in the entire world. I agree that my perception of drugs has changed over time and is still changing to this day. I really think college changes your perspective as well. It’s no secret that drugs are common in college, especially weed. Even since freshman year, I think the perception of weed has changed. I even got to vote for the legalization of weed in my home state of New Jersey last November. Moving forward, what can we do as future parents in regards to drugs? Specifically, how do/should we go about drug education for the future generation?
I would agree that education and exposure to other ideas are really important and this is something Dr. Bezio discussed in her last podcast about stereotypes. Assuming certain realities about drugs and drug users only perpetuates a very harmful narrative about anyone involved or perceived to be involved, in drug usage or distribution. Unlearning stereotypes or viewpoints imposed on us, in my opinion, allows us to see the world in a much more just light.
The point you made about your childhood was awesome. I don’t think we spend anywhere near enough time evaluating where our assumptions and biases come from, and you highlighted a transition you noticed of yourself so well. I can relate to this as I grew up in a very small town Catholic elementary school, and notice that my general patterns of thought are still influenced by it and other factors today
Yes, going off what Michael said, I went to an Episcopal school all my life, and the people that surrounded me would always think a very similar way, so for a while, what they were telling me wasn’t knowledge but assumptions. Education and looking for other perspectives that differ from your own is critical, especially in the early developmental stages of life.