“Thus you must destroy prejudices in all cases by connecting pleasant thoughts and associations with the objects of them.”

“I am very often prejudiced against new scholars without knowing why.”

“We sometimes hear a person talk in this way:  ’I do not like such or such a person at all.’

“‘Why?’

“‘Oh, I don’t know; I do not like her at all.  I can’t bear her.’

“‘But why not?  What is your objection to her?’

“’Oh, I don’t know; I have not any particular reason, but I never did like her.’

“Now, whenever you hear any person talk so, you may be sure that her opinion on any subject is worth nothing at all.  She forms opinions in one case without grounds, and it depends merely upon accident whether she does or not in other cases.”

“Why is it that so many of our countrymen are, or seem to be, prejudiced against the unfortunate children of Africa?  Almost every large white boy who meets a small black boy insults him in some way or other.”

“It is so hard to overcome prejudices, that we ought to be careful how we form them.”

“When I see a new scholar enter this school, and she does not happen to suit me exactly in her ways and manners, I very often get prejudiced against her; though sometimes I find her a valuable friend after I get acquainted with her.”

“There is an inquiry I should like very much to make, though I suppose it would not be quite right to make it.  I should like to ask all those who have some particular friend in school, and who can recollect the impression which the individual made upon them when they first saw her, to rise, and then I should like to inquire in how many cases the first impression was favorable, and in how many unfavorable.”

“Yes, sir;” “Yes, sir.”

“Do you mean you would like to have the inquiry made?”

“Yes, sir.”

“All, then, who have intimate friends, and can recollect the impression which they first made upon them, may rise.”

[About thirty rose; more than two thirds of whom voted that the first impression made by the persons who had since become their particular friends was unfavorable.]

“This shows how much dependence you can justly place on first impressions.”

“It was the next Monday morning after I had attained the wise age of four years that I was called up into my mother’s room, and told that I was the next day going to school.

“I called forth all my reasoning powers, and with all the ability of a child of four years, I reasoned with my mother, but to no purpose.  I told her that I hated the school-mistress then, though I had never seen her.  The very first day I tottered under the weight of the mighty fool’s-cap.  I only attended her school two quarters; with prejudice I went, and with prejudice I came away.

“The old school-house is now torn down, and a large brick house takes the place of it.  But I never pass by without remembering my teacher.  I am prejudiced to [against] the very spot.”