Topic > Review of The Problem of Ignorance in Society

In all I'm Not Racist But…, Don't you think it's time to start thinking? and Hidden Lessons, authors Neil Bissoondath, Northrop Frye, and David Suzuki discuss racism, critical thinking, and our impact on children's views of nature, respectively. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While these may seem like different topics, they stem from society's ignorance. A common connection and point made by the authors is that humans have a tendency to be unaware of the power their words and actions have and the meaning they may have for others. In I'm Not Racist But..., Bissoondath talks about society's impulse to take offense at words that are not intentionally used in a harmful way, and how individuals fail to understand others before calling them out for their actions. It talks about the power that is given to a word and how quick people are to label someone "racist" when they may not be aware of the offensiveness of their statements. He says, “Real racism is based, more often than not, on willful ignorance and the acceptance and comfort of the stereotype.” (Bissoondath, par. 7), and “...let us beware of abusing the word itself”. (Bissoondath, para. 19), stating that people are misusing the term “racist” and using it as an excuse to avoid trying to understand them further and remain ignorant. In Don't You Think It's Time We Start Thinking?, Frye discusses how children are failed by the education system because they are not taught to think critically about their surroundings. This ties into the idea that Bissoondath brought to light in his article. Bissoondath believes that humans do not understand each other and take words at face value without trying to understand where the other person is coming from, and Frye believes that the education system is guilty of this because children are not taught to think critically . Bissoondath tells the reader that people give too much power to the words they hear and how they affect them personally, and Frye tells the reader that they haven't given enough power to how they use words. It is this ignorance that creates a divided society. In Hidden Lessons, Suzuki talks about how humans disconnect from animals, teaching children to do the same, and how it is innate to have an interest in nature but children are trained to see other species. as inferior beings. She states: "Those of us who are parents must realize the negative and unspoken lessons we are passing on to our children. Otherwise, they will continue to desecrate this planet as we have." (Suzuki, para. 10), stating that actions taken by parents against nature cause children to care poorly for the ecological community around them, even if parents do not notice that their actions affect children. While Frye and Bissoondath discuss the amount of power given to words, Suzuki discusses parents' unawareness of the power their actions have and their impact on younger generations. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Ignorance of the power that individuals can possess simply by saying or doing something that is misunderstood is the source of many problems, including those described by Bissoondath, Frye, and Suzuki. Through their essays, they reveal how people can influence others without intending to do so. Incapable of analyzing each other's motivations, of drawing hasty conclusions or not..