Who Do You See?

Breaking the Bias Wall

Everyone who reads the Signposts blog must be a wise, loving, growing, suave person. That statement is a crude example of what we know as “bias.” A bias is an inaccurate perception based on cultural viewpoints or personal experiences that often operates beneath our conscious thoughts. I have biases because I have experienced life as a white, male, middle-class, straight, American, Christian… the list is long. Those experiences have given me a lens to look at the world. You have your own as well. Scientists confirm that what we think we perceive comes from what we think we should see, as opposed to what really exists. Knowing our biases is an important skill as we encounter new experiences.