OUR UNCONSCIOUS LAYERS OF BIASES

 



“We see truth through the eyes of our biases.”

Charles F. Glassman

 

One of the most liberating feelings comes in me when I honestly see my own biases. I have many unconscious layers of biases… I may try to hide this fact from the eyes of others; often, camouflaging through my justifications and, even, arrogance. But, I cannot hide it from my own conscience… I know when, where and how I am biased. It’s only, that I am not honest enough to accept this fact.

So, what I tend to look for in other people is ‘company’…  alikeness. Yes, like-minded people make a great company. But, if I surround myself with people who are similarly biased as I am, what kind of community it is going to be? Frank A. Clark reminds us: “We find comfort among people who agree with us, growth among those who don’t.”

Our biases shunt our growth, Sir. Yes, they do!

Let’s take, for example, the news and videos we tend to watch.  What kind  of  stories are those? Simple: The stories we ‘want to hear’… Good about people we love, and bad about people we hate. We keep on searching for those stories which amplify our deep-rooted biases. “No matter how smart,” says Veronica Roth, “people usually see what they’re already looking for, that’s all.”

We want reinforcement of the stories we believe in… Not the honest information!




So, every time, I tend to watch some so-called ‘news’, I pinch myself and ask: Am I looking for ‘comfort’ or am I looking for ‘growth’? Am I trying to reinforce the stories (biases) I already believe in or am I trying to challenge them?

As I said at the outset, one of the most liberating feelings come in me when I honestly see my own biases. That honesty alone shows me how comfortably I tend to embrace lies as truth, because of my biases…

I have many unconscious layers of biases… Yes, I do!

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: pixabay

 

Video: TED x Talks

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