Threat to our sense of fairness?

In reading and reviewing various articles and views on the forthcoming Australian Referendum on the Voice to Parliament, it seems to me that non-conscious threats to fairness may be influencing people's thinking and feelings. For example, there have been references to:

- being divisive

- compromising equality and equal rights

- gaining enormous sway

Each of these indicate a concern about advantaging one group of people over another or creating a difference in position which is regarded as unfair.

Advances in the field of neuroscience have led us to better understand the way our brains work, including an appreciation that:

- our brains scan 24 x 7 for threat or reward

- many of the signals are handled in our non-conscious mind (ie before we even have time to consciously assess the threat or reward)

- one of the domains of threat pertains to our sense of fairness or justice

I wonder ... when was the last time you felt that something was "unfair"? ... did that arise through conscious thought, or perhaps before you could even think about it? ... how did you feel when someone "jumped" the queue? ... did it make a difference once you realised they were "rejoining" a companion in the queue?

Of course, some of the threats are real and require prompt action. But sometimes they arise due to other factors such as:

- the language that was used

- assumptions that we make about ourselves or others

- a lack of information and context

and are not as "real" as we might think.

When we are in situations where there is time to give further consideration to the issue and our response, it is worth considering whether:

- the reaction has arisen through some sense of threat

- there is a different way of seeing the situation

- other ways of thinking or seeing the situation might change our reaction and/or response

Fairness is not the only domain in which we may perceive threats or rewards. For example, threats can arise in relation to our self-esteem and sense of self-worth or to our degree of autonomy and control over our own life and situation.

Each of us have a different "threat / reward" profile, so our reactions can be quite different. My wife has a very strong sense of threat to autonomy, whereas I have a stronger sense of threat to fairness. So much so, that when I recently felt unfairly silenced by a group of friends and unable to express my views on the topic of the Voice to Parliament, I woke up in the middle of the night in a sweat. I was not sure what was happening, until my wife asked if it might be a reaction to feeling unfairly silenced.

In relation to the Voice to Parliament, I have asked myself:

* How is it possible to recognise First Peoples without making a distinction between First Peoples and Second Peoples?

* Does the act of making a distinction necessarily constitute the creation of a division?

* How does the act of enabling our First Peoples to make collective representations impact, if at all, on my ongoing right to make representations to our Parliament and Executive Government

* Does it make a difference to see the Voice as a "protection" being offered to our First Peoples rather than a "greater right"?

* What do I fear that I might lose, or that I might feel is unfair, about establishing a Voice to Parliament?

* Is there are different way of seeing this potential loss or disadvantage?

As you might imagine, this approach can be helpful in situations other than the referendum. I have found it helpful in re-assessing any situation where I have experienced a strong emotional reaction. It has helped me "keep check" on situations that have proven to be false threats and to open up new perspectives on the actions of myself and of others.