Quick parable about preconceived notions

I just thought of an instructive example about why it is important to think positively and with an open mind rather than jump to negative conclusions based on fear.

Let's use that handy example of an alien who arrives in a flying saucer knowing very little about humans and their ways. Suppose the alien lands in a hospital parking lot and walks into the building. What would the alien see? People wearing uniforms, maybe with a cross on them (Red Cross or Christian cross for a Catholic hospital). And the alien sees many suffering and ill people. Suddenly the alien pulls out his laser and shoots all the uniformed people that the alien saw. Why would the alien do that?

The alien associates all these suffering people being grouped in the building with the uniformed people and assumes that the uniformed people are harming the people in the building. With a negative point of reference the alien has no context for understanding that sick people are brought to the building for healing. With no context the alien would assume that the uniformed people have a common purpose which is to harm and cause suffering to large groups of people. With a negatively oriented preconception the alien does not perceive a place of healing, but a place of caused suffering.

Oops. And so many people think like that today, although not consciously in most cases and thankfully not as extreme (though I wonder sometimes because I do not have to think hard to come up with supporting examples).

I hope this helps.