Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Bias is Tape Used to Sew Garments Together

On this last Talk Tuesday of May, let’s talk about bias. How do your own biases influence your life? Is it possible to ever be truly objective?

“In an extroverted society, the difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that an introvert is often unconsciously deemed guilty until proven innocent.”
― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms

“All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe.” Kathryn Stockett, The Help

Above Quotes are from: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/bias

BIAS

In my life, I find bias pop up every now and again. It's usually associated with some experience I have had with another person. If I'm still angry with the experience it probably will take me awhile to make excuses for the other person. Finding the reason for both sides of an argument can be enlightening.

I can truthfully say, I believe if we could pull out some mental thorns we would be able to find out why so many people make unfair judgements.

Power and violence just doesn't work. I read the Little Book of War. We can't get our own way by taking something away from someone or forcing our views on others, they will only fight back. Bias needs diplomacy.

There is a reason for every form of Bias out there. If I'm angry, I tend to not evaluate some situations until I can back away from it. Also, if a person is willing to fight for some piece of misinformation it's often easier and better to just avoid them and let them live their own life.

It's one of the reasons the USA has specific ideas about the separation of church and state. The constitution writes specific ideas about what freedom means, so we can speak freely and walk away. Still, right now, the USA is going through a phase of challenge about what bias is and isn't in the press. It's difficult to watch but, not worthless, to see the press present different sides of bias related situations.

I read in one of my courses that mindfulness is a key to saving the population of the USA. Because, it teaches kindness, and evaluation for other points of view.

Free speech needs kindness.