Why Saying "Not All X" Makes the Problem Worse

For people who wonder why saying "X isn't all bad" (ie. "Not all Cops" or "Not all Men") is an issue, maybe this will help.

Let's say you live in a neighborhood and there is a fire. Several houses are on fire, but not all of them. The firefighters come and start spraying down all the houses, on fire or not. Some people whose houses are not on fire are very adamant about getting an equal spray down for their houses, even as the ones on fire aren’t getting enough water to slow the infernos. This seems silly, right?

The houses that need the water are ON FIRE, the others aren't benefiting from it and might actually be being harmed (water damage). In addition since the firefighters are not all focusing on the houses on fire, the fire could grow and spread and take out the entire neighborhood. Obviously the people whose houses are actively burning down are going to be upset in this situation. After all, it's their houses burning down, but it isn't just an issue just for the houses that are on fire either though. No matter how you look at it the entire neighborhood is at risk if the fires in those particular houses that are actually on fire aren't put out quickly, efficiently, and permanently.

Basically by saying "X isn't all bad" you are being the firefighter shooting water at a house that isn't on fire or, if you are being completely insensitive, one of the short-sighted and selfish home owners who insists on their house being sprayed even though it isn’t on fire. You are turning the focus away from the very obvious issue (houses are on fire). In addition you are actively harming the X's that aren't doing the bad things by making it seem like the innocent X's are against addressing the issue and dealing with the non-innocent X's obvious problems. Yes, not all "X’s" are generally never ALL bad, although exceptions to rules always exist. Generalizations are generalizations after all. However when specific houses are on fire it really doesn't matter that others aren't, you know? Everything could end up burning down if you don't actively work together to solve the problem while it is still manageable.

Us vs. Them: Racism, Religious Prejudice and Violence

It seems like every day at least one article about violence stemming racism, homophobia, or religious prejudice (or all of the above) comes through my newsfeed. I can recognize where the violence and bigotry come from: fear, ignorance, a deep seated sense of powerlessness, and primitive brain defensive mechanisms. Recognizing that doesn’t excuse it though; it condemns it. If we can recognize where these actions come from we, as a supposedly intelligent species, should be able to rise above and be better than this.

We are wired to classify the things in our lives. “Us vs. Them” thinking kept us safe and alive for a very long portion of human history. That which is unknown, or at least unlike the norm, always has the potential to be dangerous simply because we do not know that it isn’t. When we classify a thing as dangerous just because it is different it behooves us to study it to determine if our knee jerk reaction is correct or just an ancient fight or flight reflex. The problem is the way we learn about it can cause just as many problems as the original fear response.

So many people look for things to strengthen their prejudices and discard information that doesn’t with no concern about the reliability of the source of either type of information. They make assumptions without knowing anything about the people or subject involved, or based on just the most superficial of facts. They choose to strengthen their own fears rather than admit that they might be wrong. It’s easier and safer for the ego to vilify the “enemy” than to understand them. The media seems to have been actively supporting this with clickbait headlines, massively polarized articles, and "fake news."

When people don’t have power in their own lives for whatever reason (poverty, lack of education, lack of experience) it is easy to boost themselves up with the belief that they are somehow better than another group or that the other group is the reason for some aspect of their difficulties. When fear and powerlessness come together with the desire to do something about it people lash out, but they lash out where they can feel like they have power. They do not lash out at prey that might fight back and win, instead they attack those who are seen as weaker. They might even spout propaganda, like “The poor Muslim women are subjugated by the evil murderous Muslim men and sharia law!,” but then lash out at the terrifying spectre of Islam and sharia law wherever they can thereby taking control of their fear so as to not feel powerless against it. Adult white “Christian” men attacking Muslim girls and women are a good example of this. They neither see the hypocrisy of this, nor how it blatantly shows their fear and lack of power.

All of us can make steps against this type of fear and ignorance. Recognize your own prejudices and work to move past them. Educate yourself. Don’t believe the clickbait. Check sources. Look for multiple reputable sources. Make your voice heard when people say things that you recognize come from prejudice, ignorance, fear or powerlessness instead of truth. Stop supporting the idea that ignorance, fear, and the need to beef up macho power is an acceptable excuse for appalling verbal and physical behavior. The world is not Christian vs. Muslim, rich vs. poor, nor is it white vs. any other color. Look at it this way, the only Us vs. Them thinking we need to be doing at this point in our evolution is ”informed caring humans vs. those who haven’t reached that point yet” and the goal is not to shun or harm the people who are hiding behind a wall of fear and ignorance, but to inform them and help them past it so we can all work together to make our world a safe place for all people no matter thier color or creed.