As an initial response, I would say that a bigot is somebody who shows three characteristics. First, their decision about a person is made without any thought of the person him- or her-self, but is an automatic reaction as soon as they hear some particular fact about them. For example, they hear the person is gay, and draws immediate and reflexive conclusions just from that fact. Or they hear that the person has a passion for wearing natural furs, and owns many valuable furs including ones of threatened species and draws immediate and reflexive conclusions about the person from that. Second, their response is assertively and openly hostile, by words, or behavior, or both. Third, they are uninterested in any fair-minded dialogue with the person to find out whether this person really deserves the stereotype they have thrust upon them.
That's not perfect, it's off the cuff, and I reserve the right to modify it as you poke holes in it, but it'll do for a start. |
