Stereotypes are a form of heuristics, a kind of mental shorthand the brain uses to help us deal more easily with a complex world. While this has certain advantages—such as helping us react quickly to the things going on around us or helping to conserve brain resources—there is a big price we pay for this. It can result in distorting reality, forming false beliefs or stereotypes about other groups, and potentially lead to prejudice, hatred, and eventually violence.
