I-DON'T-CARE ATTITUDE

Today, there seems to be an apparent struggle of extremes. This is most often observed from people's attitudes and reactions toward events or issues that concern the common good of all. One extreme is the isolation or I-don't-care attitude. As long as the issue is not and will not directly affect us and the family, it is not our concern. This negative attitude has been around since time immemorial.

Another extreme is the prejudice or bias attitude. It is an attitude that we totally believe only our opinion is right. Nobody can ever alter that belief. This attitude is always accompanied by ignorance, fear, or hatred. It always resists change even when evidence fails to support them or points to the contrary.

Such existing attitude not only widens the gap between and among people, but also creates tension and thus, rock the existing peace and tranquility of the environment. What happens is that nobody will work for the common good, but for personal aggrandizement.

DOES GROUP THERAPY HELP?

What benefits does a person derive from participating in a group therapy? Does it help a participant to interact more effectively? Does it give you the opportunity to understand the reason why people act differently in a given situation?

A colleague is so quick to anger. Not only does he need to attend anger management, but more in particular join a group therapy to enable him to learn how to adjust and be flexible when it comes to interacting with others. He has an attitude.

Group therapy has proved successfully with people who find it hard to form good social relationships. For many people with emotional problems, being with others who have similar types of problems seem to provide insight into their own feelings and behavior.

Under the leadership of a group therapist or facilitator, members are encouraged to express their real feelings, to be angry and affectionate. They get to analyze the motives behind their behavior, and try to be completely honest with other members of the group. Participants are also encouraged to feel free to criticize one another. By extending the discussion of a problem to everyone, the leader tries to develop in the group a more mature outlook on this particular problem. For them the group setting itself may provide positive reinforcement. Undesirable characteristics are not reinforced by the group. More positive qualities are. Participants can thus learn to modify problem behavior.

A BLIND SPOT?

How can we influence attitudes? How can we improve people's perception of one another? How can we help modify behavior toward actions and values that are more just and humane? Can social structures be changed for the better?

The tendency to categorize people, places, or things on the basis of generalized attitudes is one reason we are all prejudiced against something. Some of us are against certain foods we have never tasted, countries we have never visited, people we have never met, or political systems that we have only heard about.


Prejudice, an attitude with a blind spot? Psychologists say, that prejudice is an attitude that is unsupported by reasonable evidence, that persists over time, and is based on an emotional feeling about the person or group being judged. It usually implies that the other person or group is some way inferior to your own group.

Prejudice gives root to discrimination. The unfortunate consequences affect most of us--those discriminated against, those who discriminate, and those who stand by, silently, and let discrimination continue.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - ATTITUDE

"Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill."

W. C. Fields