About
Welcome to my blog. I welcome your comments on anything on my website (www.mathabane.com) or anything I have written on my blog or Facebook page. You also can read the first chapter of my new novel, The Proud Liberal, as well as the first chapters of any of my other books, at my website. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you. — Mark Mathabane
I enjoyed reading your first blog. And I share your feelings. I want to be a proud liberal, but I’m afraid all too often I’ll still judge people who are different to me. I do not hate them, though. I’ve never been violent and can’t see any circumstances that would ever make me harm anyone. I’ll never be an activist, for anything. I guess it’s because I’ve never had it really hard. I’ve had my troubles, but I didn’t suffer the hardship you had when growing up and never felt oppressed. I guess I am tolerant (don’t like the word – sounds like I’m biting my tongue and clenching my fists and counting to ten. Not so).
Keep blogging, I’ll keep reading. Best wishes.
thanks for your comment. it’s natural to judge people. what becomes the problem is when we settle on our initial impressions and don’t leave our comfort zones to get to know who people really are. the danger is that our initial impressions can harden into prejudices when they are reinforced by the initial impressions of others, or by past experiences. but once we take the time to know people, we are often surprised by how different the truth is from our initial impression. this is partly because people are different, they are individuals, and must be judged according to their actions and the contents of their character. this attitude helped me overcome my hatred of white people when I was growing up. this hatred was not innate in me. it came from my treatment at the hands of brutal white policemen. even they showed only one side of their complex personalities. since then my attitude has been too see different people as potential friends rather than certain enemies. this is a more hopeful way of looking at life and is full of possibilities for change and growth.