The Harmful Impact of Being Biased
Patricia K. Flanigan, Ed.D.
Smart Strategies for Successful Living: Your Online Resource for a Happier and Healthier Lifestyle
Being biased is an inherent trait of human behavior that signifies our attitudes, beliefs, and predispositions towards different individuals, groups, or social phenomena. While everyone is naturally biased towards something, it can lead to negative consequences when it surfaces in our decision-making processes or interactions. Whether it’s implicit, unconscious, or explicit, bias can result in harmful actions that are detrimental to the society as a whole.
What Does It Mean to Have a Bias?
Bias is a tendency to lean in a certain direction, often to the detriment of an open mind. It's a preference or inclination, especially one that inhibits impartial judgment. Biases can manifest in various forms, including:
1.??? Cognitive Bias: These are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment. Examples include confirmation bias, where people favor information that confirms their existing beliefs, and anchoring bias, where individuals rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered.
2.??? Social Bias: These biases are prejudices toward certain groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or socioeconomic status.
3.??? Cultural Bias: A form of bias where people interpret and judge phenomena by standards inherent to their own culture.
Understanding the types of bias is the first step toward recognizing them in your own thinking and behavior.
What Are the Disadvantages of Being Biased?
Being biased can have a range of negative consequences, both personally and professionally. Here are some key disadvantages:
1. Impaired Decision-Making
Biases can cloud your judgment, leading to poor decisions . For instance, a hiring manager with a bias against a particular gender may miss out on a highly qualified candidate, ultimately affecting the organization's performance.
2. Limited Perspective
Biases narrow your worldview, limiting your ability to see and understand multiple perspectives. This can stifle creativity and innovation, as you're less likely to consider alternative solutions.
3. Hindered Relationships
Biases can strain relationships , both personal and professional. If people perceive you as biased, they may feel undervalued or misunderstood, leading to conflict and a lack of trust.
4. Unfair Treatment
Social and cultural biases can lead to discrimination and inequality, affecting those who are unfairly judged or marginalized because of someone else's prejudices.
How can you become less bias?
1. Education and awareness.
The first step in combating bias is to educate yourself on the different types of biases that exist in society and in our daily interactions. This includes implicit bias, which is the unconscious prejudiced attitudes and beliefs we hold towards certain groups of people. Take time to read up on issues related to different races, religions, gender and sexual orientation to help you gain perspective, and attend workshops or seminars that offer training in bias recognition and reflection.
2. Practice empathy.
Many of us are unfamiliar with people unlike ourselves and we tend to view them through a distorted lens. By practicing empathy, you can try to see situations from others' perspectives, without bringing your biases and prejudices into it. This means listening actively, validating others' feelings and experiences, and working towards understanding their motivations. By practicing empathy , we can learn to recognize our own biases and work towards reducing them.
3. Stay aware of your emotions.
Our emotions can play a significant role in bias. We are quick to judge others based on assumptions, and these assumptions are often based on how we feel about the person. Being in control of your emotions helps you to see things objectively and analyze situations from an unbiased perspective.
4. Seek out diversity.
It's comfortable to surround ourselves with people who look and think like us, but this creates an insulated worldview that can perpetuate biases. Instead, seek out diversity in your social circles, workplaces, and your community. The more we are exposed to different cultures, perspectives, and experiences, the more we're able to appreciate and understand people from different walks of life.
5. Challenge your stereotypes.
Biases are often rooted in stereotypes, the simplistic understanding of an entire group based on assumptions that stem from limited experience, that may be completely erroneous. To overcome bias, recognize and challenge your perceptions of different groups. Challenge assumptions and stereotypes. Assume the best and change your worldview to one of positivity to appreciate the good in different people and see things in a different light.
6. Take action.
As much as knowing you have biases can push you towards changing, it doesn't mean everything change automatically. There are some actions you can take to become less bias. The most effective action course is being aware of the people, groups, and things that trigger these biases and putting interventions into place to combat them. You can, for instance, develop new relationships to create a wider appreciation in our diverse population, get involved in advocacy, or donate to causes that support disadvantaged groups.
Written by: Patricia K. Flanigan, Smart Strategies for Successful Living
Patricia K. Flanigan is a vibrant and passionate advocate for quality living and aging. She has dedicated over 28 years to working in higher education, but now enjoys a more peaceful lifestyle as the founding director and writer of Smart Strategies for Successful Living. In her free-time, she cherishes spending quality time with her family and friends, as well as getting out into nature with her beloved Samoyed dog, Wylie. Patricia loves helping others age gracefully and shares her wisdom through her content to promote the ultimate success in living.
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