Bigotry is usually discussed in relation to group dynamics involving race or religion.
My impression is a bit more detailed.
I looked to the online definition from Merriam Webster for help:
Full Definition of BIGOTRY
1
: the state of mind of a bigot
2
: acts or beliefs characteristic of a bigot
Uh, gee thanks.
Another source, Wordnik:
The attitude, state of mind, or behavior characteristic of a bigot; intolerance.
Ok, slightly more helpful, but intolerance of what? Anything?
If I don't tolerate rancid week old milk does that make me a bigot?
From Answers.Yahoo.Com:
Bigotry:
A bigot is a person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles, or identities differing from his or her own, and bigotry is the corresponding state of mind. Bigot is often used as a pejorative term against a person who is obstinately devoted to prejudices even when these views are challenged or proven to be false or not universally applicable or acceptable.
Hmmm....
So a mere challenge of my intolerance of anything makes it bigotry? Just how are 'views' proven to be false?
I'm finding myself rather intolerant of what appeared, IMAO, to be modern revisions of word definitions.
So, I searched for "older definitions of bigotry form old dictionaries"
Came up with a bunch of links about "racism". All our searches are belong to SJW's.
Online Oxford came up with this:
Intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself:
Ok, a bit more neutral.
Also from Oxford:
Origin
Late 17th century: from bigot, reinforced by French bigoterie.
Links to:
Bigot
Origin
Late 16th century (denoting a superstitious religious hypocrite): from French, of unknown origin.
The origin of "bigot" itself is inherently critical of religion, connecting it with hypocritical superstition. Sounds like 'bigot' was likely used as a slur against Christians, particularly Catholics, in France, but that is just an expression of my bigotry.
My opinion?
Bigotry is fear or dislike of those different from us, and it is the natural, default human condition.
Those outside our tribe, clique, club etc. initially evoke fear or suspicion.
Is bigotry inherently dishonest?
No, not unless it is express with an air of intellectual superiority, as if you have some special inside knowledge about that which is not tolerated. Self deception is a possibility.
Lazy?
Could be. If I don't examine the reasons for my gut, bigoted reaction.
Cowardly?
Definitely not if speaking to a hostile group. Could be posturing or name calling as a defense mechanism.
I don't know if Chesterton had bigotry in mind when he wrote this, but that's what I thought about when I read this:
“A man is perfectly entitled to laugh at a thing because he happens to find it incomprehensible. What he has no right to do is to laugh at it as incomprehensible, and then criticize it as if he comprehended it. The very fact of its unfamiliarity and mystery ought to set him thinking about the deeper causes that make people so different from himself, and that without merely assuming that they must be inferior to himself.
~G.K. Chesterton: “What I Saw in America.”
