Prejudice is a preconceived opinion about a group or person, while discrimination is acting on that opinion to treat someone unfairly. Both involve negative judgments, but prejudice is mental while discrimination is behavioral.
Prejudice forms when people make assumptions about others based on stereotypes. These opinions often develop through socialization, media influence, or personal experiences. For example, someone might prejudge all accountants as boring because they met one who was.
Prejudice appears in several forms:
Discrimination occurs when prejudiced attitudes lead to unequal treatment. This can happen consciously or unconsciously. For instance, an employer might discriminate against older job applicants by only hiring younger candidates, believing they'll work harder.
Imagine a teacher who believes students from wealthy families are smarter (prejudice). If she then gives those students better opportunities while ignoring others, that's discrimination. Both harm the students who aren't given fair chances.
The main difference lies in expression. Prejudice stays in thoughts, while discrimination manifests in actions. However, both create harmful environments and perpetuate inequality.