The automatic side of the mind is completely different than the reflective side. The authors describe it as a “stranger to us” (55). It houses thoughts, beliefs, and opinions that are less familiar. Like the reflective side, it can also drive actions—but they are seemingly more difficult to explain. For example, we know we need a family-friendly car but end up purchasing a small sporty vehicle instead. For someone who espouses egalitarian values, the automatic side of the mind is responsible for scoring a white preference on the Race IAT.

The book centers on the concept of “blindspots” (xii), or the hidden biases we carry in our minds without our knowledge. The authors borrow the term from the visual phenomenon of a blind spot—the area of each retina in which light-sensitive cells are absent. Like visual blind spots, the authors argue, hidden-bias blindspots are beyond our ability to detect—unless they are pointed out to us. They have an enormous influence on our behavior, but we often remain “oblivious” (xii) to the extent.

Cognitive dissonance is a theory devised by psychologist Leon Festinger in the mid-1950s. It is defined as the mental conflict between “two simultaneously coexisting beliefs” (59) or “between our beliefs and our actions” (59) that produces unease or discomfort.