Prejudices are so to speak the mechanical instincts of men: through their prejudices they do without any effort many things they would find too difficult to think through to the point of resolving to do them.

Summary

This quote suggests that prejudices act as automatic, innate responses or "mechanical instincts" for people. Instead of putting in the effort to critically think and analyze situations, individuals rely on their prejudices to make quick judgments and take action. Prejudices function as shortcuts, allowing people to bypass the difficulty of thoughtful decision-making. In doing so, they enable individuals to act in ways they might deem too challenging if they were to fully consider their actions.

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