"Ferdinand is a physicist, so it's clear that he gives the most rousing presentations in the company!" Does this sentence strike you as funny? Maybe even ironic? Then you've probably fallen into the trap of an "Unconscious Bias". After all, we haven't learned that physicists are particularly engaging, but rather factual and logical.

Unconscious biases lie dormant in each of us. They influence our decisions, whether we like it or not. Simply because simplification is a central mechanism in our brain. Our brain takes mental shortcuts, acts according to rules of thumb and reproduces stereotypical images, in other words, prejudices. In principle, our brain acts as a "cognitive miser" and thus works both efficiently and conserves resources.

Who does not know this? You get to know someone, find out that you have a lot in common, and right away you like the person more. This is because we always view situations, people or behavior through our own personal filter. This filter is shaped by culture, socialization, education and other value-determining experiences. This means that we unconsciously view things, circumstances and people in a biased way.

"It is easier to split an atomic nucleus than a prejudice"

Albert Einstein