Editing Stereotyping and Prejudice (section)

== <span style="color: #FFFFFF;">Understanding</span> ==
Stereotyping and prejudice are understood through '''Shortcuts''' and '''Identity'''.

'''1. The "Efficient" Brain (Stereotypes)''':
The brain is a "Pattern-Matching Machine."
* We meet millions of people in a lifetime.
* To "Save Energy," the brain "Categories" them: "Loud person," "Quiet person," "Person from Country X."
* A **Stereotype** is a "Mental File Folder."
* The problem isn't the "Folder"—it's that we "Stop looking at the Individual" and "Only look at the Label" on the folder.

'''2. The "Ego" Defense (Social Identity)''':
We "Feel better" when we are "Winning."
* If I feel "Insecure" about my life, I can "Feel Superior" by telling myself that "My Group" (my race, religion, or country) is "Better than Yours."
* Prejudice is a "Drug for Self-Esteem."
* By "Putting you down," I "Pull myself up." This is why prejudice "Explodes" during "Economic Hardship"—we need someone to look down on.

'''3. The "Hidden" Bias (Implicit)''':
You can be a "Good Person" and still have "Biases."
* Our brains are "Primed" (see Article 474) by "TV, Movies, and News" for years.
* If every "Bad Guy" in a movie looks the same, your brain "Learns" to link that "Look" to "Danger," even if you "Consciously" believe in equality.
* Implicit bias is like a "Background App" running on your phone—you don't see it, but it "Drains your battery" and "Changes your performance."

'''The 'Blue-Eyes/Brown-Eyes' Exercise'''': After the death of Martin Luther King Jr., teacher Jane Elliott told her 3rd-grade class that "Blue-eyed people are better than Brown-eyed people." In one day, the Blue-eyed kids became "Mean and Arrogant," and the Brown-eyed kids became "Depressed and Timid." The next day, she "Flipped it." This proved that "Identity" is a "Switch" that can be flipped by a "Leader," creating "Instant Prejudice" even among friends.
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