How does bias limit our understanding of the world?

Bias skews our perception of the world because we cannot go into any situation with an open, logical mind. Our biases are often based on stereotypes which are created because we generalize the behavior of one person to all people of the same kind. The most obvious bias in TKM is the bias that Southern whites have against the black members of their community. They would prefer to take the lies of a poor white man (Mr. Ewell) even though he is known to be a liar and a drunk, over the truth of a man like Tom Robinson, whose only fault is being black. Another example is that Atticus is looked down upon for his defending Tom Robinson for the same. reason: racism, which is a bias. He is trying to do the "just" thing, but the townspeople see it differently and condemn him for his actions.