As we talked about earlier, the brain is continually scanning the social environment for signals that tell you if you do or don’t belong. When a person gets the signals—many of which are subconscious—that they belong, their stress-response systems quiet down, telling them they’re safe. They feel regulated and rewarded. But when they get cues that they don’t belong, their stress-response systems are activated. And “don’t-belong” cues are our default response to anyone we don’t know, especially if they don’t have the attributes of our familiar group. We view this person as a potential threat.
