To not know what a Bigot is.

[topcat2014]

Now, I have a rough idea:

A bigot is for example: racist, homophobic..

But - is this a fluid concept according to the thinking of the day?

What else counts as a bigot?

I genuinely do not know..

awaits bollocking from MN

It's a fluid concept. It can be applied to anyone that dares to disagree with you.

Ah this is going to be an interesting one

@ Pengwggwn I am confused..

Germaine Greer? Fuck off.

OK, now I don't understand how a characteristic '- something you are' - can be mutable...

Arlene Fister

Greer isn’t a bigot. The definition of a bigot isn’t “someone whose words I dislike” or “someone whose voice I wish could be silenced”.

A bigot is a person who is intolerant to those holding different opinions

Germaine Greer is not a bigot.

I just googled it. Looks like anyone with strong opinions on any topic could be called a bigot. Which makes me a whole heap less worried about being called one

That makes more sense. So what is the bigotry? What expression about a characteristic?

Intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself

A person who has strong, unreasonable ideas, esp. about race or religion, and who thinks anyone who does not have the same beliefs is wrong

Stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own

Those are the 3 top Google definitions.

As I understood it is intolerance of beliefs rather than right/left

Germaine Greer is not a bigot and I also don't think Nigel Farage is either.

Portia OK that's workable in my head - but we have to define intolerance. Is it intolerant simply to hold a strong contrary opinion even if you accept the legitimacy of the other person's right to have a different opinion, or only if you act to undermine the legitimacy of the alternative opinion?

Sorry Peng my previous was in response to your reply. I still don't have a definition of characteristic vs personality trait that is generically applicable but I can see the mutability.

Surely nigel farage is bigoted about remainers?

Peng sorry, I thought your first comment meant that a view of someone based on a personality trait was acceptable but a view of someone based on a characteristic was bigotry. If the focus of your comment was rather on the fixed-ness (sic!) of that view then I'll go back and re-read...

I am unsure if Tommy Robinson is actually a bigot for having the courage to criticize Islam when you consider the fate of anyone who does criticize Islam. Look at Salman Rushdie whose still in hiding under Fatwa, Charlie Hebdo slaughtered, Theo Van Gogh murdered and Ayaan Hirsi Ali exiled.

OK, so Peng Portia Mirai have all highlighted themes of stubbornness, lack of response to reason and evidence in discussion of one's opinion. (Peng sorry for missing the other half of your first comment).

But this word 'intolerance' keeps cropping up and I have seen that vary in usage from disagreement and dislike of an opinion through to criminalising and even exterminating such opinions.

Is it intolerant to be open to discussing, reviewing evidence etc but still holding a firm and unchanged opinion afterwards? Is it OK (given we all have got life to lead) sometimes to maintain that opinion even though we haven't engaged in every single conversation with every single possible opponent? Or is expressing that opinion then bigotry?

Or you might believe that all Brexiteers are racist idiots, or all Tories are evil and should die, or all Christians are wicked or that anyone who does not agree with you is a racist, sexist, fascist bastard.

There are bigots with many prejudices.

Bigots are intolerant of the opinions of others if they don't chime with their own.