How do you identify your biases in Confidence Building?

To become aware of your unconscious biases, start by educating yourself. Paying attention to your thoughts and examining your beliefs can help you identify the assumptions you currently hold.

De-personalization would be of great help where you look at yourself and your thoughts from an outsiders perspective. Also, a very helpful de-personalization tactic would be to find a person who has been a positive critic to you and model your third person view on his/her behaviour.

Recognizing your own biases can be extremely challenging because your brain is wired this way from your childhood environment, so your biases are automatic by the time you’re an adult but you can change your brain with intention. Consider every time you say “always” “never” “I do not believe that” and realize those words are typically confirmation bias words. Examine your statements surrounding those words. Take note of what or whom you are speaking of. Those are your biases or shades thereof. You are beginning to recognize your biases.

Everyone one of us has biases. Judgments, and habitual patterns that cause reactions that limit you. The best way to get to them is through your unconscious. It’s a concept made popular by Carl Jung and refers to the part of us we’ve repressed and don’t like. In working with someone to explore your assumptions and judgements which show up as biases, esoteric psychology that uses the Jungian concept of archetypes is one of the most powerful tools I’ve found. Through the exploration you make your unconscious conscious and bring to surface thought and emotional patterns that limit you and you get to re-thread them and choose to be responsive. This helps you embrace confidence building more whole heartedly.

To become aware of your unconscious biases, start by educating yourself. Paying attention to your thoughts and examining your beliefs can help you identify the assumptions you currently hold.

After you’ve started identifying your biases, begin to ask yourself if the opposite of your current belief could be true or a shade different thereof. For example, if you believe you are “not good at math” or “poor public speaker” ask yourself if the opposite could be true. Are you truly bad at math or was it that growing up you didn’t enjoy that subject? You could totally be good at math but not enjoy that focus. Are you truly a poor public speaker or possibly you haven’t had practice or training? You may be a great public speaker with practice and coaching! Challenging our own biases opens our minds to bigger opportunities in life.

When working through a decision questions like "What are the benefits of our current position?" AND "What are the drawbacks of our current position" help reduce decisions made from bias. This can be re-worded around a known bias. For example: If I know I have a bias for action over analysis, I could ask questions like "What are the benefits of waiting for more information?" or "What are the risks of taking action now?"

Before you act, ask yourself if a personal bias is driving you. Even if you answer "Yes" - that's not the end of the road. Your bias could still lead you in a good direction - but you may want to at least consider other alternatives if that is the case.

What has formed my implicit biases? Do I interact with people that have different lived experiences than me? Do I know what specific terms actually mean? Which issues do I not care about as much? ... Do I understand intersectionality?

Start by asking yourself a few questions. What has formed my implicit biases? Do I interact with people that have different lived experiences than me? Do I know what specific terms actually mean? Which issues do I not care about as much? ... Do I understand intersectionality? What privileges do I have that others do not?

Challenging biases involves self-awareness, reflecting on beliefs, and questioning assumptions. Engage with diverse perspectives and educate yourself on different cultures and issues. Apply critical thinking in decision-making, considering evidence and counterarguments. Empathize with others to understand their experiences and challenge preconceptions. This process promotes open-mindedness and fosters fairer, more objective judgments and actions.

You will benefit, others will benefit, and you can impact the whole world in better ways. Self-awareness and personal responsibility are the hallmarks of a healthy human being. And, this is available to all of us who choose to do the work.

There is a lovely piece of work by Aristotle called "The Golden Mean." In it he suggests that all human behaviour has an ideal amount. Too much or too little is a problem. For example: Too little confidence is being shy, timid or unsure. Too much confidence is being cocky, presumptuous, hubristic.

Biases are partly based on experiences or information you acquired in the past. Adding new information or experiences can nudge the old biases in a new direction. For example, if you assume all nurses are women, seeing examples of male nurses as characters in tv shows can broaden your assumption about nurses.

Changing your bias means creating a new neural pathway in your brain, and this takes conscious effort and time. Do not get discouraged because changing your biases can improve your life! Choose one or two biases you wish to change. Write daily journals and statements declaring your change. This begins a new neural pathway. When the opportunity arises to think silently or declare verbally the opposite of your bias, pause, take a deep breath, and intentionally verbalize a shift in your bias. “I used to think I could not work with certain types of people, but now I’m networking and realizing learning other perspectives and personalities is helping me grow.” Intentional bias change will open a whole new world for you, so begin now!

1) Don't aim for “colorblindness”—meaning, don't try to ignore difference. ... 2) Learn your history. ... 3) Work on reducing your stress levels when you're interacting with people who are different from you, because negative encounters can promote more bias and less self-reflection.

Changing biases is a complex but essential process. First, acknowledge and accept your biases without self-blame. Actively seek diverse perspectives, engage with people from different backgrounds, and listen to their experiences. Educate yourself about the groups or issues related to your biases, fostering understanding and empathy. Challenge your biases through critical self-reflection, questioning their validity and impact. Encourage open dialogue with others, and be receptive to feedback. Consistently practicing these steps can lead to gradual changes in your biases, promoting more fair and inclusive perspectives and behaviors.

As with many things, this seems to be easier said than done. The good news is that if you do master your own biases you will stand out as an exceptional person. Darwin's notes are full of examples of him trying to prove himself wrong. Only by doing that could he be confident enough to know he was right.

Bias change can really change our whole world views, and could really shift our world peace and progress in humanity. I challenge everyone to choose a bias whether it will change your self belief or world belief, and work to challenge that bias. Work on expanding your mindset around that bias. Opening your eyes to other perspectives creates a self-development journey that impacts you daily and impacts us all over time.

Imagine you have a bias against a particular profession. Start by acknowledging this bias without judgment. Seek opportunities to interact with individuals from that profession to gain firsthand insights. Read books or articles written by professionals in that field to understand their perspectives. Engage in open conversations and listen actively to their experiences. Reflect on your biases and the new knowledge you've acquired. Over time, your biases can change as you replace stereotypes with a more nuanced understanding. This process helps foster open-mindedness and reduces unfounded prejudices.