Why do you think people have trouble accepting others who are different from them and how can you encourage others to be more accepting of those who are different? !

I think it's because people tend to be afraid or anxious of people and situations that are less familiar to them. It is easier to decide that you won't bother to try to get to know someone who is different from you, because you can choose to do nothing. It is much harder to make an effort to understand someone who is different from you than it is to do nothing at all.

I think that talking about the fact that people tend to be more alike than different helps people to be more accepting of others who are different. Most people want the same things in life: to feel some measure of success, to feel included and to feel loved.