“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This quote was uttered by Atticus Finch in the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird originally published in 1960. Similar to the idea of “walking a mile in someone else’s shoes” this quote has existed for fifty years and has yet to make its mark on society.
Translated into layman’s terms, one cannot truly know what another person has to face unless they allow themselves to virtually become that person. In the past year, I have experienced this firsthand through a physical handicap.
Picture if you will a crowded strip mall parking lot. You called in a take-out order from the local Chinese food place and you simply have to walk in, pay, and then take your food and go home to enjoy it. Every spot is taken except for a handicapped parking spot right in front of the restaurant of your choice. You figure you’ll only be a minute, so you take the spot.
I admit that I have done it. Human beings have a way of reasoning with their consciences for their own personal gain, and we are scarily successful at doing so. It honestly was not until I became temporarily handicapped myself that I ever stopped to consider seemingly “small” acts like the one described above.
I was literally forced to walk in the shoes of someone with a physical handicap, and it has changed the way I look at things. For instance, you do not know until you are on crutches or a walker long-term just how frustrating it is when the handicapped bathroom stall is occupied and you simply cannot fit your necessary equipment in the smaller stalls.
It is always funny to me to see that the majority of people, upon exiting one of these stalls and seeing me standing there, seem apologetic. I can’t help thinking, “well, who did you think those were made for?” Until you come face to face with someone who honestly needs the things you take for granted, it is easy to never realize how important they are.
Similarly, if I had a dollar for every person who told me it looked fun to ride around on a motorized scooter, I could pay for my college tuition much easier. I don’t get mad, however. I simply understand that they cannot realize the reality unless they too were in my position.
Of course, this is an arguably menial example as it certainly isn’t a matter of life or death. Some situations, however, are much more important. Lately bullying has taken the spotlight in the news with numerous situations making headlines. Certainly the “bullies” demonized in these stories did not wish for the tragic result that may have occurred, but if they would have taken just a moment to put themselves in the victim’s shoes the outcome could have been drastically different.
Unfortunately, all too frequently a tragedy must occur to make people open their eyes, as it forces them to virtually step into someone else’s skin, giving them an insight to the bigger picture. In my case, it wasn’t until I was injured that I realized how important some of the “little things” are such as parking spaces and accessible bathrooms. Sometimes people cannot step unto someone else’s shoes until they are forced to do so.
However, if more people did possess the ability to see things from another perspective, society would be in for severe improvements. For instance, consider more general societal issues, such as racism. As much as we like to believe this issue has been resolved, it still exists all too frequently today. Even if one can argue that there are no official country-wide practices against particular races, personal opinions can be just as detrimental. Stereotypes are still very much alive today, and personal prejudices can much too easily turn into actions.
Just the other day I heard someone make a completely appalling, off-the-wall remark about the local Hispanic population, grouping all local individuals of this race together in this astonishing, matter-of-fact satement. I wished for a moment that this particular person was born of Hispanic descent. If only she was a part of the group she so openly stereotyped, her attitude would certainly be changed, although this is, of course, impossible. Virtually stepping into someone else’s skin, however, is entirely possible.
If these individuals, whether openly “racist” or even just a contributor to the stereotypical beliefs associated with a particular race, would simply make an attempt to live by that famous quote of literature and the mindset behind it, racism could be virtually eliminated. If this particular woman would have taken two minutes to think, “If I was a member of that race, or if my race was the one being stereotyped, how would I feel?” her mindset might have changed.
This idea of stepping into someone else’s skin can be applied to almost every social issue in existence today. Stereotypes against racial groups, gender, sexuality and any other sub-category of human beings would cease to exist if this concept was adopted globally. At a minimum, people may be a bit more compassionate and thoughtful in their actions and how they may affect others, the handicapped again serving as an example. Encouraging people to take a walk in “someone else’s skin”, even if it is only for a brief moment, could begin a powerful and much-needed revolution.