The Difference Between Innate Categorization and Conditioned Prejudice
The studies and research presented have shown two things: first, when we look at people, we place them into different categories in our brain, and second, this is a primal response based on evolution and natural selection. But theres a difference between this categorization of people and the blatant bigotry that we see in the past and even the present.
Innate Categorization:
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Conditioned Prejudice:
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Why This is So Dangerous:
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That split second where we categorize someone as a threat or not can mean the difference between life and death. For instance, on August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was shot dead by a police officer who likely saw the man's race as an indicator of threat. Jurors are more likely to rule someone as guilty if they see them as a danger to society. When the association is triggered in people's minds, the brain reacts quickly, and is difficult to change.
But We Are Not Hopeless:
However, all this research does not mean that rewiring is impossible. There is a big difference between the innate categorization of people and conditioned racism. While it is true that your brain naturally puts everything into categories, these categories remain neutral until we are taught otherwise. For instance, while a 3 year old can distinguish between races, all those races remain neutral until society informs them otherwise. By the time that 3 year old is 18, they probably have a subconscious fear of other races informed by media representation of those races. Luckily, the brain is very adaptable, and while rewiring fear is the hardest thing for it to do, it is possible. This is due to the neuroplasticity of the brain cells. However, in order to change, one must really commit. Just as it would be difficult to rewire how you think about a saber-toothed cat, it is difficult to rewire how you think about other races as it happens on a such a subconscious and primal level. But as a human race, we have come a long way from a time when that mindset was needed. We no longer need to be able to "fight or flee" at an instant. Our survival no longer depends on that. Instead, we must rewire our brains to adapt again, this time to an environment that is a diverse and growing civilization
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