I find his statements to be contradictory.
We’re born mistrusting people who look different from us, and we treat those who look like us better.
This idea stated above is ridiculous.
But since we are born being extra suspicious about anybody not from our own clan
How is it we are born with the prejudice and cognitive awareness of who is related and not?
Then here comes the contradiction to the above:
Yes, we are born being curious, and as children we learn a lot by trial and error.
The contradiction is in his suggestion that curiosity (in this case) is void of the cognitive functioning (recognition) he implies within the first two examples
The following would be better suited to the truth of how we learn to identify and recognize the prejudice described within the first two statements I quoted.
Still today much of my daughters’ reasoning begins with “mommy says."
The following quote would be subjective to having an awareness that wasn't in league with the statements made within the previous quotes.
It's actually the premise to enlightenment, in that objectivity is based on a larger perspective than any one idea being a rule, but instead being subjective to a particular thought generated while standing in identification with ones self and any one particular experience that can and will change, when moving thru different experiences and having evolving cognitive functioning and awareness.
Being a good scientist requires constant self-monitoring and learning about the ways we fool ourselves.
It actually implies, that one must master the Self before becoming objective enough to study anything else, without interjecting personal prejudices and identification with ones own personal reality.
