Favoritism Beyond the Classroom

Favoritism ought to be the eighth deadly sin.

I read an article that discussed the awful reality of favoritism in the public school system and its possible outcomes. As I left a comment, I realized there is more to favoritism and its ugliness than just in the public school system.

Objective

My aim here is to expose favoritism for what it is and what it does; however, to avoid sounding as foolish in the end, I must admit upfront that my treatment of the problem may not achieve all that I hope to address.

The Family of Favor

Before exposing its multi-faceted negativity, favoritism must first be divorced from the rest of the word family. Favor, favorite, favorable, even the slang faves--all of these members of the family maintain at least neutral if not completely positive connotations, while favoritism remains primarily negative.

Favor and favorites can be used any way the heart desires: positively, negatively, and neutrally. The age-old request, "Could you do me a favor," defies most connotations until we know what the favor is. Of course, knowing who is making the request tends to give ample insight into the slight of the heart! While it's not necessarily negative to favor someone, receiving favors tends to be plain negative (unless you are the recipient! Ahem.) As far as favorites goes, things like cars and ice cream can be favorites without carrying any negativity, whereas persons as favorites leans toward insulting the less favored and creating a negative outcome. To play favorites is almost definitely wrong. In this way, favorites joins favoritism as plain bad.

Favorable: favorable outcomes, favorable odds, favorable conditions. They all seem perfectly positive. That may be my favorite member of the family. (Silly me! I'm playing favorites again. See, favoritism must be the eighth deadly sin the way it creeps in innocently like that!). Seriously, thus far, the rest of the word family seems to be a friendly lot for the most part.

Favoritism, whether in italics or in mind, is bad. No superfluous phrasing necessary (that comes next!).