How does prejudicial thinking function, and how can visual and
critical thinking skills be used to interrogate and interrupt the process?

What self-reflective practices can make more compassionate viewpoints
available? In everyday speech, the terms prejudice, bias, and discrimination
are used interchangeably. That creates confusion. By centering the definition
of prejudice on its etymology (pre-judgement), and framing it as an internal
cause-and-effect process, intolerant judgements can be suspended in the
present moment before creating further harmful effects. Just as prejudicial
thinking has many causes and patterns, non-prejudicial thinking must be
equally active, adaptive, and constantly maintained. Viewpoints based in
impartiality and compassion suggest mindfulness techniques drawn from
Buddhist traditions, but they can also function outside of a religious context.
Combining ancient philosophical solutions with critical contemplation is an
effort to address both timeless and contemporary misunderstandings. This
thesis includes an early iteration of a toolkit intended for general audiences,
and may be specifically applicable to institutional education, law, medicine,
and business. Visualization methods such as diagramming and mind-
mapping can provide self-reflective opportunities to examine one’s own
judgmental conclusions about others outside of the limits of language.