Did you know that there might be close to 3000 different types of chili peppers? According to this webpage, there are 25 varieties growing in the wild and between 2000 – 3000 varieties cultivated across the globe. I’m sure you’ve heard of the most common chilis, such as habanero,  jalapeño, poblano and cayenne… A more complete list can be found here.

The fascinating thing about chilis, are the enormous varieties in which they come… I’ve always heard that size matters, meaning the smaller the chili the hotter it is! The heat of a chili is measured in SHU – Scoville Heat Unit – and the Carolina Reaper is currently holding the record for being the worlds hottest with as much as 2,200,000 SHU. In comparison, you’ll find the average jalapeño between 2,500 – 8000 SHU.

Much like chilis, human beings are very different as well… We come in all shapes and forms, some have a hot appearance & others a hot temper. Skinny, heavy, tall, short with different sexual orientations and various racial origins. Born into poverty or richness, depending on where you’re from. Fortunate to be born into a peaceful and democratic country or growing up knowing nothing but war and tragedy! Regardless of these variations, every human being is born equal and should be treated as such!

It’s been said that 20 % of the worlds population consume 80% of it’s resources! In other words, the lifestyle we have in the industrialized countries exist solely because of the lack thereof in the third world countries. It comes down to people thinking better of themselves and in doing so, degrading others based on religion, race and geography. If you look at Africa, you’ll find that as little as two countries are considered never to have been colonised – these being Liberia and Ethiopia. The actions of our predecessors are haunting us today and continues to be a strong divider between us and them!

The big question is how to change it and make this world a better and more equal place to live? I believe that prejudice is something we learn from early on and this is supported in research.

“Social learning theory suggests that prejudice is learned in the same way other attitudes and values are learned, primarily through association, reinforcement and modeling.” Diane Maluso, Associate Professor of Psychology at Elmira College