[Colleen]

Having lived in the city for almost five years now, I was struck by your question. I think a lot depends on what the attitudes were you grew up with, and whether you’ve really had an opportunity to have them altered. Just living in the city, the compression of it, the constant hurry and aggression and defensiveness necessary to walk anywhere, I think it tends to make people callous. I notice it most on the subway — I’ve elbowed people and shoved and given a few head fakes in order to get a seat when I knew I was going 80 blocks uptown. It makes you cultivate indifference to people. The dangers, too, when you’re on you’re way home at 3 in the morning, you’ve got to have your back up, and consciously or unconsciously, you depend on your stereotypes and prejudices to make those instant assessments of people that your safety depends on. This creates an automatic suspicion of other people. I think that these two factors combined could be what’s making you feel more prejudiced. It depends on whether you want to accept that, because it requires a lot to avoid it, you have to constantly remind yourself to give people the benefit of the doubt, and not automatically assume they’re assholes or muggers or just generally out to get you. It’s tough – they probably are out to get you, after all, right? I dunno if that’s even enough by itself — I’ve found in my life that what’s most challenged me, made me re-think my assumptions and certainties, have been individuals, my friends, roommates. It’s having to really get along with someone, live with them, be their friend, that’s made me realize my own prejudices. Without that kind of contact, it’s too easy to assume that what you know — or have always been told — is the truth.

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Name : Colleen, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 22, City : New York City, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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