Why It Matters
Before I start a conversation on our personal biases, let me first begin with why I think it matters.
We are seeing a growing polarization in the United States of America. It seems that with every issue imaginable, there is an “us” verses “them” mentality being driven by those in positions of power—by those in the government, in the media, in big business, and those who profiteer by sowing division and discord.
Far too many of us have abdicated our individual responsibility to seek the truth. It is too easy for any of us to live in an echo chamber where we only listen to people that parrot our already held beliefs. We tune into the news outlet that shares our ideology; our social media feeds are designed to give us more of what we already believe to be true; very few of us actively seek out opposing points of view to better understand the diversity of thought around hotly debated issues; and we do not ask hard questions of those who already champion our belief system, even if something seems off.
I don’t have answers to fix all the problems in our society, but like you I have opinions and convictions about what is right and wrong. Perhaps a starting point for all of us could be to admit that we all have biases and then pause to consider how they shape our decision-making process.
We All Have A Bias
No doubt you would like to think you are open minded, but every human being has multiple biases they carry into every conversation. No one is exempt. Not you, and not me.
Let’s start with a basic definition of bias and build out from there:
Bias: A tendency (either known or unknown) to prefer one thing over another that prevents objectivity, that influences understanding or outcomes in some way. [1]
I also encountered this definition of bias in a recent podcast:
“Bias is a prejudice or pre-critical inclination in favor of or against something. Before we even think about it, we bring it to bear. And we could say it’s a pattern of distortion in our ability to see what’s there.”
In short, if you have settled something to be true, you have a bias. If you have strong a conviction, you have a bias. If you have an opinion, you are leading the conversation through bias. As the definition says, “if you prefer one thing over another,” or if you lean in one direction verses another, you have a bias.
In the weeks to come we will look more closely at some of the more specific biases each person has and how they might skew our decision making, but for now, here are a few initial thoughts on biases in general:
- Everyone has multiple biases they wrestle with, therefore, you should not feel guilty for having one, or many. It is important to be aware you have them so that you can be intentional to pursue facts and truth over preference and emotion.
- A bias is not always known to the person who holds the bias. You may be influenced to think a certain way because of your culture, experiences, family, etc. You may lean a certain way because you have never been exposed to an alternative way of thinking. It is important to explore both sides of an argument in depth and also not to dismiss something as untrue or wrong if it conflicts with previously held beliefs. This does not imply that we accept all opposing points of view as equally true, or that the opposing point of view is true and ours is wrong, but that we will do the hard work of analysis and evaluate competing ideas.
- Having a bias is not always a bad thing, nor does it imply that you are wrong. It could be that you have studied an issue, have read opposing opinions, and decided based on objective evidence that something is true. There is nothing wrong with having convictions and strong opinions.
- It is important to realize that two equally intelligent people can come to different conclusions. This does not mean that both are right. It most likely means that one or both have other biases that are influencing the discussion. According to the laws of logic, two opposing truth statements cannot both be true at the same time. It could also mean that there isn’t sufficient evidence for a definitive decision. In which case, all of us will be informed by multiple biases and the outcome will inevitably be a difference of opinion.
- You should seek to have an informed bias. In order to do this, you need to understand and be able to articulate the opposing point of view and explain why you have chosen your conclusion to be the right one or the best explanation. It is important to note that this does not imply that you are right, only that you have done the work to be informed. It is also important to reassess your conclusions if new information is discovered.
- “The terms bias and prejudice are often used interchangeably. However, prejudice is an extreme type of bias that is typically preconceived, intentional, and negative such as homophobia, racism, or sexism.” [2] A prejudiced person often has a desired outcome and shapes their ideology and bends their will to accommodate that desired outcome.
- Your biases may prevent you from seeing the truth. No doubt, like most others, you assume this is true of the other person, or “those people,” but it is also true of you. It is important to develop the habit of listening and evaluating, before attempting to convince others they are wrong.
[1] https://sociologydictionary.org/bias/#content
[2] https://sociologydictionary.org/bias/#content (Found in the usage notes proceeding the main article).