AUTOMATIC ATTITUDINAL RESPONSES

Automatic attitudinal responses abound in the world around us.  Uneducated voices on topics are sometimes the loudest.  It is important to become aware of our own tendencies and be at least one voice that is educated on the entire issue, rather than opinionated garble.

OTM 1 - THINK PINK - I researched quite a bit to figure out what the pink pill for increasing women's sexual desire was all about.  Although I do have an opinion about Pharmaceutical companies I went into this discussion with an open mind.  During my quest to find out what this pill would mean for women I was saddened to see that the big money had helped to push this through without adequate research or proven results.  Even members of Congress boarded the money train.  I admit that in my mind I have formulated an attitudinal response, at least in this instance, I vetted it with my own research of the topic.

OTM 2 - ASHLEY MADISON - I hate to admit it but I definitely resorted to my automatic response in this assignment.  One thing I despise is dishonesty, and when I saw that Ashley Madison was exposed it actually made me a bit happy.   I did research about the topic, but I searched in the direction I thought would prove what I wanted to prove.  After having lived the heartache of being married and subsequently divorced from a cheater I was extremely biased.

OTM 3 - KIM DAVIS & GAY MARRIAGE -  On this topic I feel like I discussed both sides fairly.  I don't believe that I have extreme biases for or against gay marriage which is why I didn't resort to any automatic response.  I honestly felt that she should have done her job, and it is not her decision to make whether a gay couple can marry.  I thought that I did a good job of showing where both sides of the issue were coming from based on their opinions, not mine.

OTM 4 -  VIENNA TRAIN STATION -  This topic was an eye opener for me.  I do not watch television and I was really uneducated as to what was even going on with the refugees.  I believe that I represented what was going on from what I learned in the On the Media account.  I did not have an automatic response because I have remained unaware of the crisis.

OTM 5 - ABORTION POLLING - I did not allow my automatic response to abortion to taint my mind on this topic.  I personally have my own opinion about abortion, but I did not let it infiltrate my discussion about abortion.  I showed that both sides have an opinion about abortion and remained a neutral party to the conversation.

OTM 6 - DARKODE - Darkode is another topic that I was prior to, blissfully unaware.  One result of this podcast is that I have take measures to secure privacy in the form of covering cameras on some devices and disabling the microphone for many apps.  Because I did not have prior knowledge, I did not have an attitudinal response.

OTM 7 - PLAYBOY - If I had done this assignment 10 years ago I would have exercised an attitudinal response.  Now, at this point in my life I feel like I am able to take a more objective viewpoint on the subject.  People are free to do and view whatever it is that suits their fancy.  I no longer feel that it is my place to tell everyone that doesn't think like me that they are going to hell.

I feel that there are some subjects that illicit an attitudinal response in many of us.  The key is to realize that this is a tendency and to stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone and look at the whole issue for what it really displays.  Conducting yourself as an educated and informed member of society is a big piece of the puzzle that will help to break us away from stereotypes.  Imagine a world where people chose to search the facts before placing judgement.  Now that I understand I still on occasion revert to an automatic response, I will be more aware and more conscientious before I form an opinion on the events around me.