There’s no easy way to say this.
I understand that making this confession to tens of thousands of people may not be the best idea, especially in these times.
But I have to say it. I have to let this one out.
(((Deep breath)))
Okay, here goes …
I’m prejudiced. I judge people before I even know who they really are. I jump to conclusions about others with zero evidence to justify how I’m thinking and feeling.
The truth is, I’m biased. Biased AF, I confess.
I don’t feel any shame for what I just wrote you. In fact, I feel a sense of pride. Proud of myself for doing what most people are afraid to do. To take a really good look at myself and see the things I don’t like.
Because you can’t change it if you can’t see it. Instead, you point the finger at everyone else, never noticing that there are three fingers pointing back at you.
If you spot it, you’ve got it.
I’ve got it. And it’s not just me. We all have it. Even you.
Your brain is wired for bias. It’s wired to prejudge. To leap to conclusions without verification. To take every energy-conserving shortcut it possibly can in order to make you feel safe in an uncertain world.
To not be biased is to not be human. Failing to admit your bias makes you part of the problem. You just run around acting like your poop don’t stink. Fouling up the room, when it’s you who needs changing. (Yes, that was a diaper pun.)
The world would be a better place if we acknowledged our biases, if we all made an effort to make our unconscious biases conscious. That way, we can step in and stop our hyper-judgmental, survival-obsessed brains from doing what they do.
When we acknowledge our biases we create an opening for seeing people for who they are, not who we presume them to be.
On today’s QOD episode, Howard J. Ross, author of Everyday Bias, encourages you to ask not whether you have biases … but which ones are yours.
Source: Howard Ross: “Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments” | Talks at Google
Enjoy today’s quote. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
Thanks for your honesty! We are all a product of our upbringing and societal norms. We can only be ready for change in our attitude when we face the truth about our learned prejudices. The great hope is we can live and learn. When we know better, we do better!