It's useless when we're thinking rationally, but when we're thinking intuitively, it's very handy. And we do a LOT of intuitive thinking. If you're reading this and you have a reaction like, "We (or I) do NOT do that much intuitive thinking!" or "Yeah, that's right, we do a lot of intuitive thinking,", that's...intuitive thinking.

If we understood better how to shape our intuitions with our rational deliberations, we wouldn't need to resort as much to tricks to avoid thinking of the non-white bear. The thing is, our intuitions are sculpted by experience and media, and that may not have given all of us a race-neutral reflex.