Why do people make fun of a person's condition?

such as mental retardation or just for being on a wheelchair.

I can think of any of a number of reasons, having been on the other side of such ridicule myself: (1) They're ignorant and don't know any better; (2) They laugh out of a fear of what they don't understand; (3) They were brought up improperly and were never taught the right way to interact with people different than they are; (4) They're just plain idiots; (5) They're secretly afraid they might wind up with a disability someday.... I could offer other possible explanations, but there's a starting point.

because they're immature, have low self esteem or just plain mean!

Makes them feel superior

because they don't really know what is rong with them and they think they are differant from everyone eles even tho there the same as every one some ppl are just rude and mean and they don't get it

because they dont have anythig better to do,they dont undestand the seriousness of the illness,and how this can hurt a person's feelings and the long term effect it has on someone's mind i bet they arent laughing if it happened to them and always remember no matter what you say or do it ALWAYS comes back to bite you in the *** eventually, what comes around goes around

Because they are crude and stupid and heartless and w/o conscience.
I have seen a lot of Karma around me in my life and their payment could be that the same affliction may touch them or someone close to them sometime during their lifetime.
Always remember, God is watching and planning.

to put it bluntly they are ignorant and they feel it is better to make fun of something they do not understand rather then learning about teh individual

I'm in a wheelchair and people don't make fun of me, cause my arms are huge and I would beat their azz

because they're insecure with their own faults so they make fun of others to feel better about themselves.

Because they are ignorant, and afraid of getting to know something about the unknown. It is much easier for them to be an ignorant person than it is for them to look above and beyond that person's disability.

they have low self-esteem, and they feel like calling someone else a name, or putting them down will make it feel better. they feel as if bullying someone makes them superior, when it acctualy makes then inferior

It's because they don't understand the illness or condition,and because they don't have the knowledge of the illness or condition,their self ego kicks in as a self defence,and then they can come across as ignorant,or making fun of some one.That's it most cases,but unfortunately in a few cases some people can just be jerks.

My dear sweet person,PSome Poeple are Just Plain cruel!I have slow brother who is 56 yrs. old and I,ve been defending him my whole life!And some poeple just don,t know how to except differtent poeple and they get Scared because they Don,t know that HandyCap poeple are special,God,s chionce ones,they are already Angels!Please don,t Give AShit what other Poeple Think,Only Care what your True Friends and loved ones Think!Hollywood!

Only one or two people have mad fun of my brother in my life. He's 22 (act 6ish) and mentally and physically handicapped and I'm 14. Some younger kids get scared, but that doesn't bother me. If I see someone old enough to understand staring at him, I simply stare at them...until they notice. That usually makes them stop. Not everyone is able to understand, usually they are more curious than anything else. But people that act rude or overly afraid of disabled people....yea that makes me really mad....REALLY mad. We're all just people after all, They don't mean to scare you or hurt you. I think it's just because a lot of the time they are or act defenseless.

People are afraid of what they don't understand. People laugh when nervous, also, and make jokes to relieve their own stress from fear.

Simply because they stereotype. People who are uneducated about a condition often don't realize that there is a PERSON who has to live with a cognitive disability (which is better then saying mental retardation).. they just see disorder... or they don't see that it is a Person who has to use a wheelchair for mobility... they only see the wheelchair... If you are being teased... maybe you should try and educate the person about the condition... and then discuss some of the other things you are interested in.. like maybe art, or nature... this shows the uneducated person that you are a Person with feelings, likes, and dislikes... you are NOT just a wheelchair...

i think this stems on home training. if the parents don't explain to their children that it is wrong to make fun of people they will. on the other hand what people don't understand scares them and they will react negatively about it. it still doesn't make it right. i wish for those people who make fun of others could walk around in their shoes. excellent question.

because they're shallow and it makes them feel better about themselves...