The subtle fear or discomfort triggered by anything foreign or unfamiliar, even when rationally recognized as harmless. It's the emotional response to otherness before conscious evaluation.
From Greek 'xenos' meaning stranger or foreigner. Shortened from 'xenophobia,' this term isolates the immediate emotional response to unfamiliarity, separate from the broader fear or hatred.
This captures our brain's ancient threat-detection system in action - the amygdala automatically flags unfamiliar stimuli as potentially dangerous before our rational mind can assess them. Understanding this automatic response is crucial for overcoming unconscious bias!
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