#Diversity

A new article in Psychology Today has shed light on a persistent human trait: our tendency to resist anything unfamiliar—a phenomenon that impacts Thai society and communities worldwide in subtle but powerful ways. Recent research highlights how fear of difference is nurtured not just by our brains’ wiring but by deeply embedded societal lessons learned from family, school, and cultural narratives as we grow up (Psychology Today).

The significance of these findings lies in their resonance with ongoing social, educational, and cultural challenges across Thailand. As Thai society becomes more diverse—whether through ethnic communities in the North, the southern Malay-speaking provinces, or Bangkok’s increasingly international population—the question of how we react to “the other” has real implications for social harmony, inclusiveness in education policy, and economic opportunity. By understanding why humans instinctively draw comfort from the familiar and label the different as potentially risky, we can begin to address sources of prejudice and open doors to creativity and collaboration that are essential in an interconnected world.

The personal experience recounted in a recent Salt Lake Tribune opinion piece—of an individual forced to sever ties with conservative, immigrant parents after coming out as LGBTQ+—is not only poignant but also, sadly, emblematic of a wider pattern documented by international and Thai research. As dialogue around LGBTQ+ acceptance grows more visible in public and family spheres, scientists are compiling evidence that family rejection sharply increases mental health risks, but that targeted interventions and rising social support can, over time, help break cycles of alienation and trauma.

A groundbreaking psychology study published in the Journal of Research in Personality has uncovered that people around the world—including potentially in Thailand—tend to make strong, consistent judgments about a person’s personality based solely on their tattoos, but these assessments are usually inaccurate. Only tattoos judged to be particularly “wacky” or unusual line up, to a modest degree, with reality: such tattoos are linked with higher openness to new experiences, according to the researchers (PsyPost).