p = 101.5

Think of it this way. Biases certainly do have an obvious cost. We think it's $100 when it's obviously not. This is a cost, there's no denying that. But that same bias still exists for an evolutionary reason. It cannot be denied. Thus this bias has a benefit as well. A hidden benefit that is not clear. Maybe this benefit is no longer applicable in modern times... but we can't know for sure. It's likely such a bias is a side effect of something else.

>But this kind of biases may make us racist.

Depends on what you mean by racism. Being "against" anything or "for" a part of a team is part of group think. You buy into the current woke culture and that in itself is bias. But it's a good bias, it helps you.

Let's think of race logically. If genetics can describe the way races look... from darker skin on Africans, smaller eyes for asians, and lighter skin for Caucasians... Then by what black magic does it suddenly cause all mental faculties and behavioral tendencies to be equal across races? There is no logic behind behavioral equality at all, yet it is culturally insensitive not to believe it. In fact if you state you don't believe it, you will get attacked.

This black magic pervades our thinking and biases and we assume it to be true. If someone says black people are more likely to criminals because of inherent higher aggression, according to modern culture, that statement is bad and racist. Yet according to the logic of pure rationality the statement has enough validity to be considered for study. The statistics show higher correlation with crime and certain races, the logic of genetics don't deny it as a possibility either; the final logic is thus inescapable and the overall assumption is worth looking at.

If you're extremely rational, and extremely logical. Researching for the fact that genetics can influence behavior between different races is a valid research subject. But to do this you have to be above the biased group think. And if you're above the biased group think, you're going to get attacked for being a racist.

I bet this post will be flagged for even mentioning genetics and racial behavior, EVEN if it is a logical possibility. And that is a real example of how biases protect you. By being biased, by being completely unaware and buying into the current group think you're protected from attack and group self selection. By existing on a higher rational and unbiased plane you open yourself up for reactionary attacks. I likely will automatically get compared to the KKK for believing that racial differences across physical aspects and behavioral aspects are real.

Even believing that "rationality and unbiased-ness is great" is buying into biased group think. Everybody thinks rationality is better, everybody thinks of themselves as rational when in reality neither statement is completely true.

>Biases are tools for fast thinking.

This is your "bias" talking. We aren't clear what they're all for. Some could be for fast thinking. There's no definitive scientific evidence for what all our biases for, so logically you're being biased for making such an assumption. It's typical. People have biases that make them try to simplify the world around them. There's huge complexity here but you simplified it into a singular talking point: Biases are just things for fast thinking.

Another biased talking point: Racism is bad.

My guess is that some biases are for fast thinking. But not all. There's a potpourri of thousands of reasons for each of the multitudes of biases we have.

Personally, to be truly unbiased, to be truly emotionally uninvested into anything is a curse. It's the fruit of knowledge. You don't want it at all. Once you eat that fruit, there's no going back.