Behaviours can be separated into those which are under our conscious control and those which are not; and these two types of behaviour are not necessarily related to each another.
It could be argued that conscious behaviours – the ones we find easier to recognise and control – represent the real person, and the others are bogus. Nevertheless, those with whom we interact pick up on and identify our unconscious behaviours.
How our attitudes towards race have evolved
Our public attitudes to race have certainly changed, and surveys have measured this evolution over many decades. Today, people in the majority group make far fewer overt hostile actions towards minorities. When racist acts do occur, they are widely condemned rather than being condoned as they were in the past. These positive changes are due to a widespread disapproval of racist activities in society: it is no longer socially acceptable to express racism directly.
