Humans are hard-wired to make quick judgments based on observations of how others react and what other people tell us. Our brains and impulses often automatically and unconsciously rely on quick judgments particularly those that are different or unfamiliar. They were helpful for our ancient ancestors who used these short-cuts to know when they were safe versus in danger.
With things having changed in our modern world, these mental shortcuts and biases can often lead us astray. The good news is that we are also hard-wired for cooperation and fairness.
We can retrain our brains to override unhelpful impulses and overcome fear and biases. To do this, we must be aware of the roadblocks to both approaching our emotions scientifically, and to responding to the unique needs of those around us.