Discover & understand · 1/3 · 5 min
Discover the tendency
Discover
Imagine two people doing exactly the same thing — one from a group you feel part of, one from a group you dislike. Would you describe their actions in the same words?
Understand
Humans readily form groups around family, friendship, nationality, religion, politics and shared interests. Groups give us belonging, trust and support.
The same instinct can draw a line: we interpret our own group's behaviour more generously and judge outsiders more harshly. How strong this is varies greatly between people and situations — hostility towards outsiders is not inevitable.
What this means for us
We don't ask anyone to give up their identity. You don't have to stop being one of us to recognise that they are human, too.
Explaining a tendency is not the same as excusing it. These patterns affect all of us — including people who see themselves as open-minded. The aim is not shame, but more considered choices.