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I think the whole thing goes back to predator/prey instincts. A Zebra learns early that lions aren't to be messed with and they're going to dash when they see/smell one. Even if put in a cage with a tamest lion in the world and even if the lion never does anything to hurt or scare the Zebra it's still going to be wary of every move the lion makes even if they've been living together for years.
I don't know when you learn it, I assume the instinct is to act this way, not who/what to act this way toward. In our herd of humans the Largest man or the person in the uniform is the dominate one, the sexy person gets the most attention. It's instinct. After you've learned about the people your acquired knowledge kicks in and the fact that someone is stupid outweighs the fact that they're 6'6 250lb, or that they're a cop.
I think it explains alot about human interaction, subconscious racism/sexism among other things.
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“It is better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick” - Dave Barry
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