Perception creates our experience of the world around us. It is the procedure on how one views information that comes through one’s five basic senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste). People, interests, one’s needs and all expectations all influence our perception on how one views and treat others. Perception is significant in understanding human behavior because every individual sees the world and approaches life problems differently. Poverty is when one or a group of people does not have enough money to afford basic life needs for oneself or one’s family. It is a subject that is under spoken because it incites forceful feelings and numerous inquiries. The perception people have about the poor negatively affects how they are viewed and treated.
Perceptions have been affecting the poor due to the language society uses while speaking about them. Without having one’s own experiences with a person or in this case a group of people, one puts an image on how they are due to the way media and other people speaks about them. When media speaks about the poor, they describe them as they are as poor as they want to be due to their life choices. They are shown as living in bad neighborhoods, using food stamps, barely making it. Showing the negative aspects of the poor’s living conditions, put a bad perception on people’s mind besides getting a bigoted attitude against them. If one takes notice, the media always seems to ghost the reasons and background information on why their living conditions are the way they are. Without the social setting to understand why people live the manner in which they do, many assume that its by choice.
People are not understanding that poverty involves more than the lack of income to ensure sustainable living because the media portrays it differently. By only showing low living conditions, it puts a bad perception on people’s mind. If the media only shows the negative aspects of the poor and not the reasons of why their living conditions are the way they are, it makes people believe that they have the right to negatively speak about the poor. The media needs to show so people can understand that its reality includes malnutrition, limited access to education and limited job selections.
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They are also less likely to take risks because they make decisions focused on getting by with their present stressful circumstances. People living in poverty tend to be malnourished because healthier foods tend to cost more money. Due to the malnourishment their immune system tends to be weaker leading to medical problems. Unlike the wealthy, poor people are not able to afford the higher rates it cost to see a doctor. Limited education affects those who are less fortunate because it limits the language development, literacy and material sources. In some areas even the schools are not well equipped with the resources for students to learn.
The educational buildings that they are able to attend, are not regularly updated because they are limited on the budget the government gives them causing the school to be in low conditions for example, mold throughout the building affecting the students, well-being. Having limited education and resources affects the job selection they will encounter as they get older besides the fact that as hard as they may be working their pay is minimal and the minimal only gets one the minimal. Society needs to see, talk and listen about those issues, to be able to understand why people act and behave the way they do. If the media showed those reasons that are affecting the poor to be in poverty, then people would be more understanding and less judgmental.
Unlike the poor, the media influences one’s perspective towards the wealthy by how highly they present and speak about them. They produce reality shows on how they live in beautiful neighborhood, a refrigerator full of healthy food, and how some have personal trainers and nutritionists to keep healthy. The schools they went to or their children are attending are state of the art buildings, fully equipped with resources. Not to mention, that the high ranked school they attended, helps them get better jobs. The media makes people believe that the wealthy is successful because they are independent, risk takers people that chose to have the luxurious life they live without taking notice that those who usually have were given the resources, money and access to education in order to achieve. Exhibiting positive things, the wealthy has and have accomplished, makes people assume that the wealthy is better than everyone else and one should only speak highly about them.
Understanding human behavior and backgrounds will make one realize the struggles people go through. They would also be awakened and would stop assuming that everyone has equal access to resources. On his essay, What Is a “System of Privilege”? by Allan Johnson a sociologist and public speaker states “being born into one social category might give someone on earned social advantage, while being born in another category might give someone else unfair disadvantages.” (455). In other words, being born in one social class may give somebody on current social bit of leeway, while being born in a different classification may give another person unjustifiable treatment.
This is essential because if one is born from a wealthy family, then one is viewed successful but if one is worn in a poor class, one is already limited and judged by others. The one being born from a wealthy family is automatically born with privileges and excuses for all their have-nots. For example, if that person decided not to go and educate him/herself then they are viewed and excused because they need a mental break. As oppose to a poor person; one is labeled with all the negative aspects on how society views the poor. Being labeled, judge and having a negative perception by believing the stereotypes and what one sees and hears about the poor instead of focusing on the individual, minimizes the opportunities that person will have in order to succeed.
Perceptions increase or minimize opportunities because opportunities are always given. It all falls down to the person’s judgments, and their decisions are based on emotions, perceptions and preferences. Perceptions people have painted about the poor make others believe that the stereotypes people have in relation to the poor are true; and so, it if the person giving the opportunity feels strong about those stereotypes, then one is out of the loop.
The poor are being stereotyped as having low intelligence because if they do not want to live the way they do, they would go get an education and a decent job. In reality, not everyone, whether poor or wealthy acquires a degree, but society only diminishes the poor for not having one. This is significant because it just shows how people’s perception can affect a person or group. It is the ignorance of people that makes them assume that because one has less or one’s living conditions are not the greatest one is not intelligent.
Their ignorance makes them oversee that some wealthy people are not intelligent because in their eyes, the wealthy’s living conditions would show otherwise. Being intelligent is not how hard you are working but how efficient. How one is able to adapt and do the work given regardless of the complications placed upon them. A degree does not give one the qualities intelligent people have.
A cultural critic, scholar and prolific writer Bell Hooks states from her article Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor “one could have degrees and still not be intelligent.” (489). In other words, not because one has a degree means one is intelligent. A degree does not change one’s capability. A degree just means one had resources and successfully completed the area of study. Not everyone has the resources available waiting for one to decide whether one wants to use them or not. Poor people have to hustle and struggle to get a degree taking one step at a time because that is all one is able to take.
Moreover, society also categorizes the poor as being lazy and not being interested in self-improvement. It is not that one is not interested in self-improvement or that one is lazy. The reason the poor takes longer to self-improve is that they do not have all the resources needed besides having the disadvantage of being labeled and stereotyped when they were born, perceptions the wealthy people do not have to worry about. Poor people were not born with privileges. As Allan G. Johnson whose work is also motivated by social justice topics states, “The on earn advantages that come from social privilege are often invisible to those who experience them.” (455).
Putting it differently the on earned favorable circumstances that originate from social benefit are regularly undetectable to the individuals who experience them. This is crucial because society is not able to see that it is not because they are lazy but because they are lacking resources for self-improvement. It also does not include all poor people, there are plenty of successful poor people that were able to self improve as well as many wealthy people that chose not to improve.
In contrary to the poor, wealthy people are not labeled as lazy unwillingly to self-improve because they were born with the privilege of success. Wealthy people just need a break because they are going through a difficult time at the moment. Some are already born owning companies because someone has to take over the family’s business. He or she will be fine, they do not need to work hard. Perceptions that are made of excuses and privileges the wealthy are born with is what makes people believe that everyone should be treated differently.
The poor are labeled as lazy yet, they are the ones that have to go out and work hard and go through hardships to go up a step-in life. Hooks, also known for her collaborations with prominent scholars such as Cornell West on projects related to activism and spirituality states “One could be hard-working and still be poor.” (488). That is to say, one could be dedicated and still be poor. It is necessary to understand that a certain class does not define the persons dedication and efforts in everyday life. Any type of social class person can be lazy and unwilling to improve themselves as well as being dedicated and hardworking. It all comes down to who won is as an individual, not a category.
People are quick to judge a person by they way they look and what they have without analyzing the background of the individuals and their state of being. Not having the funds to afford luxuries does not define a person. Materials do not define a person. One can be poor and wear brand-name clothing and still be poor. One can be wealthy and wear a non-brand name clothing and still be wealthy.
One can be poor but rich in values, morals, and integrity, and one can be wealth but poor in love, morals and integrity. A cartoon posted on The Record Newspaper, Kids Falls by Jimmy Margulies an award-winning editorial cartoonist shows how an adult asks a boy, “how far have you fallen?” (Margulies) In other words, how low are you? This is a major awakening for people to realize how inconsiderate and judgmental someone can be. In his cartoon he shows the boy responding, “I don’t know, you tell me.” (Margulies).
That is to say, you tell me, how low do you see me. This is essential because it shows how people view and treat others based on stereotypes and perceptions. It should not be how far one has fallen or how low one’s economy is whether one should decide to help or not. One’s features and economic statuses should not be the reason why society sees a social class better than others. A perception one has of someone should be based by one’s own experiences with the individual not by what we have heard from them or how much do they seem to have.
However, all the negative stereotypes and feelings can all be changed if one became an enlightening witness. One being aware, making changes with one’s own self-perception, one can make a difference and influence others to believe and act differently. If one understood the background of why a person behaves the way they would do, then one would be more understandable and helpful by guiding instead of diminishing.
In Love All, Serve All: Humanitarian Works by Sathya Sai Baba, an Indian guru and philanthropist states “one’s values should be aligned with his or her thoughts, words and deeds.” (Baba). In other words, one’s qualities ought to be lined up with one’s thinking, discussions and acts of kindness. This is significant because if one is happy with who with one is, it will reflect on one’s actions. If one became the enlightening witness, one would not only be happier, one would be willing to lift and help others and grow as an individual by doing so.
If one became more humane, one would have sympathy and compassion for those who are less fortunate and understand that one does not chose to live with struggles and in poverty. One would find ways to make awareness on understanding human behavior and their backgrounds so that others can also be awakened and help the ones needed. Raising awareness could be something as simple as spreading the word on social media networks, doing fundraisers, hosting runs to stop poverty, collecting food, clothes and supplies after one can collect an donate the items and money earned to organizations that help stop poverty.
Taking simple small steps makes a difference in someone else’s life. Baba who also established a network of free hospitals, clinics, and schools for his community stated, “you become a better person by living life with integrity.” (Baba). Other words, one should improve as an individual by living with respectability. This is essential because one should always have respect for one self others regardless of their social class. One should always respect how one would like to be respected by others because how one respects and treats others reflects the true value of the individual.
In conclusion, perceptions are only assumptions of beliefs people have made up but not who they are as an individual. Those perceptions and stereotypes are what affects a person’s individual’s uniqueness. Not understanding an individual’s background on why they behave and act a certain way limit the possibilities of self-perception and bring assumptions of everyone having equal resources. Degrees do not make a person intelligent nor materials define who one is. Attitudes and behavior towards others can be changed by having self-perception, being open-minded and having willingness to make a difference. That willingness will influence others to make a change as well. For one should be valued as an individual, how one is mannered, respected and how one carries oneself towards others instead of a social class.
Works Cited
- Hooks, Bell. “Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader, 4th ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2012, pp. 486–493.
- Johnson, Allan. “What Is a ‘System of Privilege?’.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader, 4th ed., Bedford/St.Martins, 2012, pp. 454–457.
- Margulies, Jimmy. “KidsFalls.” The Record, 2007. “Love All, Serve All: Humanitarian Works.” Sri Satya Sai Baba, Chelsea House, 2005. American History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=17530&itemid=WE52&articleId=1007996. Accessed 20 Apr. 2020.
