Humans have a natural tendency to fear the unknown. This is particularly true regarding things we don’t understand and sometimes believe they don’t exist. This fear and mistrust can lead to negative attitudes, biases, and harmful behaviors towards individuals, cultures, and ideas that differ from ours. In this blog post, we will explore why humans avoid things they don’t understand and how we can overcome our natural biases to cultivate an open and understanding attitude towards difference.
Fear of the Unknown
Humans tend to be fearful about unfamiliar things because we don’t know what to expect. Since we don’t understand something, we assume it could be a potential threat, which triggers us to avoid it. This can be seen in how we approach new experiences or cultures that we feel uncomfortable with. We tend to shy away from things we don’t understand or that don’t align with our beliefs because we feel threatened by them, even if they’re beneficial or harmless.
Cognitive Dissonance
Another reason we avoid things we don’t understand is cognitive dissonance. This occurs when we experience a conflict between our beliefs and attitudes. When confronted with something that challenges our beliefs, it creates an uncomfortable feeling which we try to resolve by avoiding the issue or rejecting it outright. People resist new ideas or perspectives that challenge their worldview rather than engaging in constructive dialogue.
Confirmation Bias
Humans are also prone to confirmation bias, the tendency to seek information confirming our existing beliefs while ignoring or rejecting anything that contradicts them. This leads us to avoid new information or perspectives that could broaden our understanding of the world. We prefer to stay in our comfort zones, where our beliefs and attitudes are reinforced, rather than taking risks and exploring new ideas or experiences.
Group Think
Groupthink, a phenomenon where people in a group conform to the opinions or decisions of their peers, is another reason why humans avoid things they don’t understand. When part of a group, we tend to follow the consensus rather than think for ourselves. This makes it difficult for individuals to break from the group mentality, even if they disagree with the majority perspective. This can lead to poor decision-making and reinforce negative attitudes towards differences and new experiences.
Overcoming Our Biases
We must cultivate an open and curious attitude towards difference to overcome our biases and avoid harmful attitudes towards the unknown. This means being willing to question our beliefs, seek out new experiences, and challenge our assumptions. We need to be open to learning from others’ perspectives, even if they contradict our own. We can also educate ourselves on the benefits of diversity and the dangers of discrimination and prejudice, which will help us to recognize and combat these biases.
Final Thoughts
Humans avoid things they don’t understand because of fear, cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and groupthink. Avoiding new experiences and perspectives can lead to negative attitudes and behaviors toward differences, harming individuals, cultures, and ideas. To overcome these biases, we must cultivate an open and curious attitude toward the unknown, question our beliefs, and seek new experiences that broaden our understanding of the world. By doing so, we can embrace diversity and build societal cohesion that respects and celebrates differences.
For more information, visit the Estralia Books website!