Prejudice
A preformed judgment or feeling, usually negative, about a person based only on their membership in a group, such as race, religion, gender, age or nationality. It colors what we notice and remember about members of that group and how we treat them.
In everyday life
A landlord turns away an applicant with a foreign accent, assuming she will pay late, without looking at her references.
When you learn the new family on your street follows a religion you know little about, you feel wary and leave them off the block party invitation.
Why your mind does this
We could never store the details of every person and event we meet, so the brain boils experience down into categories and rough summaries. These let us make fast guesses about new people and situations with little effort. Holding on to bad experiences, while letting old pain soften, also helped us learn from danger without being crushed by it.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Generalities
How to spot it
Notice when you feel wary, cold or dismissive toward someone as soon as you learn what group they belong to.
How to counter it
Seek real contact with members of the group through shared tasks or goals, which tends to weaken prejudice over time.