However, research on group processes shows that group separation and prejudice have a bidirectional relationship—that is, prejudice tends to result in division between groups and division between groups tends to result in prejudice. What begins as seemingly harmless homogeneity often snowballs into distrust, inaccurate perceptions of other groups, prejudice and hostility. Before long and without even knowing it, we become like the man in the joke; we have no problem saying, “Die, heretic” while pushing them off the bridge with our words and deeds.
