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Xenophobia - Good food for thought

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Old 08-17-2013, 12:33 PM
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Default Xenophobia - Good food for thought

Xenophobia

While fear of the unknown is a common and understandable part of life, xenophobia is defined as an intense fear of strangers or foreigners. It often has extremely negative connotations, with historical and political undertones that many, if not most, people find distasteful. However, as a phobia, it can be examined scientifically as just something else than can cause extreme fear in people. When examining the condition from this perspective, a conversation about it can become less of a history lesson and more of a helpful therapy session that can help sufferers conquer their fear and develop a more open mind.

Symptoms of Xenophobia
People who suffer from xenophobia display an intense fear or dislike of people they do not understand or people they find strange. This fear can be intensified by racial, social, or religious differences, making the sufferer seem ignorant or biased when the real source of their behavior is a fear that they do not understand or know how to control. Sufferers will often go out of their way to avoid strangers or people of different races, ethnicities, or religions. They unconsciously identify the object of their fear as foreign – something that they believe to be disliked by the general public even when this is not the case.

Dangers of Xenophobia
Extreme xenophobia can lead to a general isolation of a person or even a group of persons. Also, a xenophobic person will almost always come off as bigoted in some way to non-sufferers, creating an even more isolated world view. While xenophobia does not start off as racism or bigotry exactly, it can easily morph into these without education and treatment. This is why treatment for xenophobia is recommended if the symptoms appear.

Treatment for Xenophobia
Treatment for xenophobia tends to be a bit more complicated than many other phobias. Education is a key factor in helping people overcome their xenophobic tendencies, and you can find therapists who are well versed on plenty of subjects that can help you understand where these fears are coming from. With therapy and an open mind, xenophobics can learn to expand their horizons and face their fears to find that maybe, the people they fear aren’t so very different from themselves after all.

Summary

Xenophobia is defined as a severe fear of strangers or foreigners. Both counseling and therapy are possible to help with all the symptoms and dangers of xenophobia.

Symptoms of / Reasons for Xenophobia
• The avoidance of people seen as foreign
• An unwillingness to keep an open mind about people they do not understand
• Often generalized or ill-educated opinions and stereotypes about a culture or group of people
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Old 08-18-2013, 05:23 PM
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Thanks, Quirky3. That's good information. But I'm kind of surprised that no one had any comments. It seems everyone knows all about it and no one disputes it. Maybe this post wil break the ice; someone has to break the ice so it might as well be me.

Fear of strangers and/or foreigners often serves a function of self preservation. With the latest terorist threat abroad, the president stated that people can still vacation but that they should be careful. In other words, a little fear may be useful.

Also, many years ago, Oprah Winfrey had a security expert on her show who instructed people to trust their gut. If they encountered someone who made them fearful, they should avoid that person. An example was given of a woman waiting for an elevator. The door of the elevator opens and she sees someone who, for whatever reason, makes her feel fearful. Then the advice was to not get on the elevator. Another example was: You see someone walking towards your car and your gut tells you it could be trouble. The advice was: Lock your door!

Now here's a true story: My brother-in-law went to New York on a business trip. He was walking down the street with a business associate and his associate saw a man walking toward them. He said to my brother-in-law, "maybe we should cross the street." To that my brother-in-law said, "no, just keep walking, we'll be okay." As this stranger passed them, he gave my brother-in-law a very hard punch in the stomach. It was so bad, he fell to the ground and couldn't breathe for a while. So the lesson is: when in doubt, trust your gut. He should have listened to his business associate.
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Old 08-18-2013, 09:32 PM
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It's a normal reaction and they label it a disease...gotta love it!
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Old 08-18-2013, 10:09 PM
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I was gonna respond respond but y'all are strange and I was scared to.
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Old 08-18-2013, 10:11 PM
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I'd say this is a good example of xenophobia in action:
Advocating Total Extermination of Islam's Enemies

Al-Qaeda has adopted a broader interpretation of the religious command concerning the killing of infidels. It is considered an absolute command that does not depend on political circumstances, the need or will to take revenge, or a wish to liberate Muslim lands from infidel rule. Saif al-Din al-Ansari, in an article in al-Qaeda's official periodical, presented the new, comprehensive concept of total extermination of Islam's enemies based on the Quranic verse: "And that He may purge those who believe and deprive the unbelievers of blessings" (Al-Imran, 142).

According to al-Ansari, this is the way Allah deals with infidels, who are doomed throughout history to total extermination through various types of death, as was the fate of the people of Noah, Hod, Saleh, Lot, Midian, and Pharaoh. Al-Ansari asserted that the extermination of infidels is a permanent Islamic law and unchangeable fate for infidels that is as relevant today as it was in past generations. According to al-Ansari, "Just as the law of extermination was applied to the infidel forces among the nations in previous days and no one could escape it, so it will be applied to the infidel forces in our day and no one will escape it. Namely, similar to the fate of the Thamoud and 'Ad peoples [two pagan Arab peoples which, according to Islamic tradition, were exterminated due to their rejection of the words of the Prophet], so the American state, the Jewish state, and all other infidel countries will certainly be destroyed."
Al-Qaeda Justifies Terrorism and Genocide
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Old 08-18-2013, 11:01 PM
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I was gonna respond respond but y'all are strange and I was scared to.
Rightfully so.

Sometimes you show unusually good judgment.
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Old 08-19-2013, 09:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quirky3 View Post
Xenophobia

While fear of the unknown is a common and understandable part of life, xenophobia is defined as an intense fear of strangers or foreigners. It often has extremely negative connotations, with historical and political undertones that many, if not most, people find distasteful. However, as a phobia, it can be examined scientifically as just something else than can cause extreme fear in people. When examining the condition from this perspective, a conversation about it can become less of a history lesson and more of a helpful therapy session that can help sufferers conquer their fear and develop a more open mind.

Symptoms of Xenophobia
People who suffer from xenophobia display an intense fear or dislike of people they do not understand or people they find strange. This fear can be intensified by racial, social, or religious differences, making the sufferer seem ignorant or biased when the real source of their behavior is a fear that they do not understand or know how to control. Sufferers will often go out of their way to avoid strangers or people of different races, ethnicities, or religions. They unconsciously identify the object of their fear as foreign – something that they believe to be disliked by the general public even when this is not the case.

Dangers of Xenophobia
Extreme xenophobia can lead to a general isolation of a person or even a group of persons. Also, a xenophobic person will almost always come off as bigoted in some way to non-sufferers, creating an even more isolated world view. While xenophobia does not start off as racism or bigotry exactly, it can easily morph into these without education and treatment. This is why treatment for xenophobia is recommended if the symptoms appear.

Treatment for Xenophobia
Treatment for xenophobia tends to be a bit more complicated than many other phobias. Education is a key factor in helping people overcome their xenophobic tendencies, and you can find therapists who are well versed on plenty of subjects that can help you understand where these fears are coming from. With therapy and an open mind, xenophobics can learn to expand their horizons and face their fears to find that maybe, the people they fear aren’t so very different from themselves after all.

Summary

Xenophobia is defined as a severe fear of strangers or foreigners. Both counseling and therapy are possible to help with all the symptoms and dangers of xenophobia.

Symptoms of / Reasons for Xenophobia
• The avoidance of people seen as foreign
• An unwillingness to keep an open mind about people they do not understand
• Often generalized or ill-educated opinions and stereotypes about a culture or group of people

I have just a few questions on this

What was your intent or intended message with this post ?

Were you aware that a blanket copying of text like this with no credit to the author is a violation of TOTV rules, and certainly borderline plagarism.

All that aside, what prompted you to post a definition of a mental problem and to whom and what was it aimed ?

Just wanting to understand since you offered zero comment.
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Old 08-19-2013, 09:50 AM
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This was from the following online coaching and mentoring site:
Xenophobia - GoMentor.com

Just as I posted, for me it was good food for thought. I looked it up because I wondered if there was a term for something like this, and this is what I found. I thought it was worth sharing. It is enlightening and frightening to Google xenophobia - examples in history. I am hoping that communication and better familiarity with diverse people will lead to better understanding and relations with the majority of people who are now considered "immigrants", and who are hard-working productive members of society
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Old 08-19-2013, 10:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quirky3 View Post
This was from the following online coaching and mentoring site:
Xenophobia - GoMentor.com

Just as I posted, for me it was good food for thought. I looked it up because I wondered if there was a term for something like this, and this is what I found. I thought it was worth sharing. It is enlightening and frightening to Google xenophobia - examples in history. I am hoping that communication and better familiarity with diverse people will lead to better understanding and relations with the majority of people who are now considered "immigrants", and who are hard-working productive members of society
quirky3: anyone who has followed your posts and I am one knows that you do not have a mean bone in your body. As such I accepted your original post just as you posed it.....discussion for the sake of discussion.

It has been written that one of the reasons the roman empire grew was due to the fact that in its primitive origins romans were known to welcome strangers unlike other tribes. and in that knowledge, etc grew.........

Xenophobia I believe is a primal response for survival. Its off shoot has taught us to avoid certain neighbors , groups (tribes) such as radical groups, etc.

In a joking manner I say there is no sense being a xenophobic unless you can act like one. it is my way of saying that I am open but like my ancestors follow my gut.

Personal Best Regards:
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Old 08-19-2013, 11:21 AM
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Thank you, Mr. Rubicon. I really appreciate your insights. Several years ago I was more likely to generalize about segments of the population where I had no friends or acquaintances. Over time, I have met really good people, and later found out that they are muslim. They are caring, sincere people and we share celebrations of each others' holiday food customs and well wishes. One lady is from Bosnia - her husband was killed in the ethnic wars over there in the 90's, and she is grateful to live here. I agree that it is good to use common sense and have awareness around people, and I for one don't want to let that short circuit any natural feelings of human kindness.
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Old 08-19-2013, 12:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by quirky3 View Post
This was from the following online coaching and mentoring site:
Xenophobia - GoMentor.com

Just as I posted, for me it was good food for thought. I looked it up because I wondered if there was a term for something like this, and this is what I found. I thought it was worth sharing. It is enlightening and frightening to Google xenophobia - examples in history. I am hoping that communication and better familiarity with diverse people will lead to better understanding and relations with the majority of people who are now considered "immigrants", and who are hard-working productive members of society

Fair enough.

Your thread was started at the time there were two threads on muslims. Thus my thought was you were accusing those of us who oppose the supposed march or had comments on the muslims who seek to kill us.

I have no "intense fear of strangers" in any way shape or form. Thus the definition does not fit me nor do I think it fits any of those who look at what is happening with a bit of suspicion.

As I said on here to another poster who wanted to make folks feel racist or whatever, we are NOT talking about a muslim living next door to you....a muslim playing golf with you or any such thing. We are speaking of a movement that vows to kill me, you and your and my children and grandchildren and do it in a grand an epic way. THAT IS NOT "intense fear of strangers".....THAT is being aware of what is happening and being cautious and alert, and I am not saying you are doing this, but to infer that I or anyone who has these concerns are racists or any other name is insulting to me.
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