For example: I may meet someone I really like, but as soon as they tell me they don't have a diploma my brain kind of rejects them. It makes me think they're stupid.

I know that it's bullshit - diploma or job ≠ intellectual ability - but still, it's icky and I can't get the association out of my head. The more I try to refute it, the stronger it seems to get. And then I start feeling misunderstood, or my brain keeps looking for clues in order to confirm the stereotype (eg. "See? They're stupid because they said this about ..... . You're incompatible and you should distance yourself") until I am unable to feel like I'm in a normal, functional friendship/relationship.

It really sucks because 1) I wouldn't want people thinking that way about me, yet I do it to them, 2) it makes it so much harder to connect with people, which causes loneliness, 3) it gives me a cynical worldview in general, which makes me unhappy. I try to be aware of it, as much as possible, and keep telling myself that it's not real and untrue whenever I catch myself doing it, but it's been exhausting and it doesn't seem like it's getting better. It's more of a feeling - there doesn't seem to be a rational solution.

What now?