Bias isn’t random.
Each one has a root—and that root is emotional.
In this section, we name some of the most common cognitive, social, and internalized emotional biases—and show the nervous system logic beneath each one.
Each bias below includes:
- What it is
- Where it comes from emotionally
- Which frameworks in TEG‑Blue it links to
Cognitive Biases
These are often seen as “thinking errors”—but in truth, they reflect emotional shortcuts for control, certainty, or protection.
Bias | Emotional Root | TEG‑Blue Maps |
Confirmation Bias | Fear of change, loss of control | Map 1, Map 2 |
Authority Bias | Safety through obedience | Map 1, Map 5 |
Negativity Bias | Survival pattern: detect threat first | Map 1 |
In-group Bias | Need for belonging and protection | Map 2, Map 4 |
Sunk Cost Fallacy | Fear of regret or being “wrong” | Map 4, Map 7 |
Social & Cultural Biases
These are shaped by systems of power and social conditioning—but always absorbed emotionally first.
Bias | Emotional Root | TEG‑Blue Maps |
Sexism / Ageism | Cultural scripts tying value to control or appearance | Map 2, Map 5 |
Racism | Group safety, projected threat, institutional legacy | Map 4, Map 5, Map 7 |
Ableism | Fear of difference, idealization of ease | Map 5 |
Classism | Shame, hierarchy-based worth | Map 2, Map 5, Map 9 |
Homophobia / Transphobia | Fear of otherness; loss of group identity safety | Map 2, Map 5 |
Internalized Emotional Biases
These are the beliefs we hold about ourselves and others that formed through emotional pain—not truth.
Bias | Emotional Root | TEG‑Blue Maps |
“I’m not good enough” | Repeated shame, unmet emotional needs | Map 1, Map 4 |
“People can’t be trusted” | Betrayal, emotional abandonment | Map 4, Map 7 |
“If I’m not useful, I’ll be abandoned” | Conditional love, performance-based worth | Map 2, Map 4 |
“They’re only being nice because they want something” | Manipulation, past exploitation | Map 4 |
“I always have to be the strong one” | Survival identity, fear of vulnerability | Map 2, Map 3 |
Bias is not always loud or cruel.
Sometimes, it hides in the quiet rules we live by—shaped by what once helped us survive.
The next sections will show why these beliefs feel so real—and what it takes to let them go.
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