sexist, or X-ist in some cases than others, either because the individual lacks top down control or because they decide to relinquish it. In parallel with Singer’s work on the relationship between pain empathy and our classification of others as fair-minded cooperators or narcissistically-minded cheaters, so too does race influence our expression of compassion toward those in pain. Both Caucasian, Black and Asian subjects showed stronger activation in the pain-related areas of the brain when viewing individuals from the same race experience pain than when viewing individuals of a different race. When Black subjects played a computerized game involving social ostracism, they showed stronger activation in areas of the brain involved in social pain when excluded by Caucasian players than when excluded by Black players. When others suffer and we have the opportunity to help them, we are more likely to help those of the same race, and feel good about it as evidenced by activation of brain areas involved in reward. Our biases, both implicit and explicit, influence our compassion toward others and our motivation to help. This statement is true whether we are looking at evidence from young children or adults, and using measures that assess sensory perception, behavioral judgment, or activity patterns in the brain. Beginning with an evolutionarily ancient brain system that was designed to distinguish friendly ingroup members and antagonistic outgroup members, we populate the inner sanctum with people who we perceive as most like us, using both fixed and variable features. With time, the walls surrounding this sanctum close, attributing the full richness of human nature to those within, and bleaching it from those outside. Bleaching humanity Draw an imaginary circle around yourself with a diameter of about fifty feet. Now imagine packing this circle with people, forming an expanding set of concentric circles that radiates out from those closest to you to those you don’t kn