Interpretation Theory

In order to understand the world through a different perspective, we have to realize that we need to understand the theory of interpretation. People most likely do not know about how to stop their judgment because they have grown to only know how to do so. We almost always base our judgments on past experiences and beliefs. People that are closest to us help a lot with our judgments. This makes it harder to influence our world view. Sometimes, it takes more than just thinking about somebody else’s point of view. We have to empathize for a true understanding. Rather than prejudging people based on generalizations on preconceptions; we should judge individuals only when we have adequate information about that individual.
Native Americans across the United States have been misinterpreted since the “discovery” of the North American continent. The first people to interact with Natives were unknowledgeable on how to accept differences within an unknown culture. They quickly belittled Native ways and passed judgment on their lifestyles. It was a less civilized way of life that the natives had in the eyes of the settlers. Interpretation theory unfortunately came many years later. People finally came to the realization we need to understand the ways of others to have a positive growth in our community. This is easier said than done.
In the Klug-Whitfield article Reaching All of Our Children, it says that we are “…most susceptible to learning negative stereotypes and prejudices towards those who are of an ethnicity different from our own when we are young children.” (p. 17). It goes on to say that our ideas and attitude are mimicked very early in life from the people who have the most influence in our lives at that time like our parents and immediate family. This being said, while growing up, people we associate with are normal, and anyone else is different. You later then grow into an adult and in your perspective you know what is normal and what is not from your