This weeks episode touches on race relations. I wanted to share some things from a personal level before asking some questions. I grew up in a household that was racially biased against white people. As many African American families are because of the systemic racism , the proximity in time to the Jim Crow era, segregation, and well slavery itself. During my parents and grandparents time, they had to live through much of turbulent times these incidences brought. It would have been damn near impossible to not be biased during their eras and considered negligent if they didn't prepare their children for the perils of the world as they knew it. After years of an unrelenting battle for equality, the world is a far better place now than it was thirty, forty, and fifty years ago. We still have a ways to go, but we are definitely making progress. Racism in my opinion is a learned behavior. It's passed down from generational experience which makes it more difficult to stamp out. Despite what race you hail from, a capitalistic society will never aid in stopping racism. When money is at stake, everyone is competition. I could go on all day talking about the history of racism but I want to steer the conversation toward the affect it has on our mental health. Whole races of people besides African Americans, face racial discrimination on a daily basis. And to a lessor degree but still just as significant most Caucasian's have been unfairly targeted as well. Discrimination in any form holds a special place place on mental health. It literally tells you straight up that you are not valued. You are not good enough. You are rejected, ridiculed, and in most cases hated. When your trying to survive in a capitalistic society in which systemic racism is in play, your mental health is crucial. You must develop a few things to help you maintain your stability. One is a thick skin. I learned from the book The Four Agreements, that you should never take anything personal. It serves you no purpose to feed into someone else's bias toward you. Hard to do but trust me it's helped me in many situations. Two and more importantly, develop a strong sense of self worth. When you value yourself and surround yourself with people who also value you , no man can tear you down And three, learn everything you can. Knowledge is indeed power. When people start looking at you for the talent you bring to the table, their behavior is altered in how they treat you despite how they might feel about you. There are many more I could into but I want to hear yours. What are some of the ways to strengthen your mental health against racism?
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