I remember readng a Shelby Steele book (The Content of Our Character?) in which he recounts sometimes measuring white racism based on whether a white person would avoid touching his hand during a cash transaction. As a white person who was germophobic before germophobia was cool, I was alarmed: in these situations I had always tried to a…
I remember readng a Shelby Steele book (The Content of Our Character?) in which he recounts sometimes measuring white racism based on whether a white person would avoid touching his hand during a cash transaction. As a white person who was germophobic before germophobia was cool, I was alarmed: in these situations I had always tried to avoid touching anyone -- white, black, or anything else. Mr. Steele would have thought me a racist. What's a neurotic to do? It has been a battle between germophobia and fear of being thought a racist ever since.
I remember readng a Shelby Steele book (The Content of Our Character?) in which he recounts sometimes measuring white racism based on whether a white person would avoid touching his hand during a cash transaction. As a white person who was germophobic before germophobia was cool, I was alarmed: in these situations I had always tried to avoid touching anyone -- white, black, or anything else. Mr. Steele would have thought me a racist. What's a neurotic to do? It has been a battle between germophobia and fear of being thought a racist ever since.
The germaphobe could stop worrying about what others think, and unless someone says something to you, you won't know how he or she thinks.