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Automatic Behavior in American Society

In Automatic Behavior we see that people routinely engage in a variety of simple and complex behavior ôwithout consciously paying attention to itö (155). In Acting from a Single Perspective, we discover that humans have a tendency to act from a single perspective which limits new input and new understanding: ôOne we let them in [single perspectives], our minds snap shut like a clam or ice and do not let in new signalsö (157). The information contained in the sections on ôautomatic behaviorö and acting from a ôsingle perspectiveö in Language, Thought, and Culture is readily applicable to American Society. I find that this is particularly true with respect to stereotypes and prejudices.

In American society we routinely engage in behaviors that are automatic. One example I am familiar with is the way many women will apply their makeup in the car while they fasten their seat belts, take off the emergency break, start the car, and put the car into drive automatically. Such automatic behavior is often the result of habit. When habits become ingrained we often act in ways that are void of conscious thought. We may carry on a telephone conversation while eating some French fries, and at the same time quite unconsciously lace an unraveled shoestring. Solomon and Stein conclude that human beings ôhave shown a general tendency on the part of normal people, to act, without any express desire of conscious volition, in a manner in general accord with previous habits of the personö (155).

In American society, it is common to see people act without conscious volition with respect to social interaction and behavior. In the junior high school gym class, many individuals routinely refer to someone who is inferior in body development or athletic performance as ôgayö or a ôfagö. Such behaviors stem from habits of prejudice and stereotypes that are often institutionally reinforced in society. For example, most medi

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Automatic Behavior in American Society. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:35, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1711651.html