Prejudices: False Certainties Born of Fear

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Prejudices are a common feature of how the human mind works. While socially they are associated with negativity, discrimination, or ignorance, their origin is deeply rooted in our psychological need for order, safety, and cognitive efficiency. In other words, having prejudices is not merely an act of intolerance; it is an instinctive —though imperfect— way of dealing with uncertainty.

A Mind That Seeks Shortcuts

The human brain is not designed to process all incoming information in a neutral, rational way. To survive, we need to make quick decisions. This is achieved through heuristics: mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making. Prejudices arise from these shortcuts, when we attribute characteristics to individuals or groups based on incomplete information or generalized past experiences.

For example, if someone has a negative encounter with a person from a certain group, their mind tends to create a generalized association, even if it’s statistically unfounded. It is more efficient —though deeply unfair— to assume that all similar people pose a threat than to analyze each new situation individually.

Fear as the Root of Prejudice

At their core, many prejudices are fueled by fear: fear of the unknown, the different, or the uncontrollable. This fear activates defense mechanisms that simplify reality: if we label something as “bad,” “threatening,” or “inferior,” we stop feeling vulnerable to uncertainty. Even if that sense of security is false, the psychological relief it offers is real.

This explains why many people hold on to their prejudices even when confronted with contradictory evidence: cognitive dissonance —the discomfort of holding two conflicting ideas— is unsettling, and it’s easier to deny the facts than to dismantle a belief that brings emotional security.

False Certainties as Refuge

Prejudices offer something the brain craves: quick certainties. In a chaotic and changing world, prejudice works like a mental template: it tells us how to interpret what we see, how to behave, and whom to fear or reject. Questioning these beliefs doesn’t just involve changing one’s opinion —it also means giving up part of one’s identity, which can cause anxiety or a sense of loss.

Can They Be Overcome?

Yes —but not through logic alone. Overcoming prejudice requires work on two levels:

1. Cognitive: questioning our beliefs and confronting the data behind them.

2. Emotional: understanding the fear that lies beneath and developing empathy toward what feels unfamiliar.

Exposure to diversity, open dialogue, critical education, and direct experiences with people who defy stereotypes are powerful tools to dismantle prejudice. But change begins with awareness: recognizing that prejudices exist —not as proof of malice, but as signs of a human mind trying to protect itself… sometimes, mistakenly.