Why We Judge People Based on Their Relatives
Imagine you’ve moved into a new neighborhood. You and your new neighbor, Jack, quickly build a friendly rapport and, after a couple weeks, you give him a set of keys, in case of emergency. One day, returning his hammer you borrowed, you see a young guy stumbling out of Jack’s front door, a laptop in one arm, a fur coat in the other. He doesn’t seem sober. Suddenly Jack runs up and says to his son, “Stop it Pete! You told me you wouldn’t do this again!” Pete drops the goods and runs off. “Pete’s an addict,” Jack tells you. He changes his locks often, he explains, because Pete comes over and steals from him and his wife.
Who wouldn’t feel terrible for Jack? He seems like a good guy. Yet you find yourself rethinking giving him your house keys. Do you change
