At the end of Chapter 23, Jem and Scout are talking about why people are the way they are. Scout cannot understand why people treat others differently when, as Atticus tells her, "everybody’s family’s just as old as everybody else’s." Scout concludes that folks are just folks, so why don't they get along?
Jem tells Scout that he believed that same sentiment when he was younger, but now, he connects it to Boo Radley and his odd behavior: "it’s because he wants to stay inside." Jem understands that sometimes, there are just times when humans are cruel to each other, and people like Boo Radley shy away from that cruelty. Even though inherently humans are created equal, as the Founding Fathers would put it, humans will still treat others differently because of outside differences. Maybe Boo Radley is different and will be treated so (as he already is just by being a recluse) or perhaps he does not want to witness humanity's cruelty.
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