How do I tell my instincts apart from my bias?

Your gut has kept you alive and safe, so you have learned to trust it. And now you are brave enough to wonder where that same gut might be lying to you in ways you cannot see. That fear is not weakness. It is one of the most honest things a person in your position can face. The truth is you will never get a clean readout that says instinct here, bias there. They come dressed alike. But the very fact that you are looking already changes things. Bias thrives on people who are certain they have none. You are not that person, and that is your protection. Build a habit of the second look. When your gut fires hard about someone, pause and ask what, specifically, set it off. A real behavior, or just a feeling. Naming the trigger out loud, even to yourself, drags it into the light. That small discipline, done again and again, is how you keep the instinct sharp and the bias in check.