When You're Right, You're Right... Right?

Maybe challenging your biases could be a good thing.

Graffiti: Bias by Franco Folini

Pursuing a degree in the literal study of humans has led me down the road of desiring to talk about sensitive topics. I couldn’t tell you how many times I have engaged in a conversation that quickly proved to be controlled by biases and not logic. From myself and the other person.

We want to believe that their opinions are correct. It’s only natural. Literally ingrained in our evolution. Which makes it even more difficult to push against that instinct and challenge the biases we have developed.

Though sometimes we get our opinions from others, the issue is we aren’t challenging those ideas. Instead, we are noticing only what proves their truth. Confirming the biases that we have created over our lifetimes.

Know your Bias

A few words you should be acquainted with. If you aren’t already.

1.     Objective vs Subjective: Objective thoughts are those that are based on evidence. Subjective thoughts are those based on opinions or preconceived ideas.

2.     Bias vs Non-bias: A bias (or biased opinion) is based on subjective ideas (opinions) while a non-bias (or un-biased opinion) is based on evidence and is more scientific.

3.     Reasoning: As VSauce put it; Our attempts to create better decisions and truer knowledge.

4.     Intuition: A constant attempt to use past experiences for reactions (instinct-based).

Confirmation Bias usually is the root of those arguments that come from instinctual or intuition-based beliefs. When we believe something with such dedication for so long, it’s almost painful to challenge it. Like The Atlantic’s Chris Mooney said,

Beliefs are physical. To attack them is like attacking one part of a person's anatomy, almost like pricking his or her skin (or worse).

To avoid that pain, we utilize motivated reasoning and confirmation bias to try to prove why we are right. Often to a point of being irrational even though it makes reasonable sense to us.

Be Rational with your Reasoning

Something I am not too rational about is eating bugs as a main food source. They’re crunchy. They look weird. But worst of all. I would have to catch them. Potentially even FARM them…

A while back I asked myself why I believed that. Truth be told, I’m an American. We don’t eat bugs here. We eat burgers and fries, hunt big-game, and drink beer… Right? A burger and fries certainly makes for an appetizing photo.

But. Turns out, if we Americans could get past those intuitions telling us bugs are gross, we could help solve a lot of global food-scarcity problems. Bugs as food provides many benefits. With proper farming techniques they have little negatives. So why adhere to the idea that they are gross?

For the longest time it was because I knew that bugs often carry parasites. They’re also creepy and the idea of their texture is… unsettling. All of those opinions were, and are, only reinforced because of where I live and the culture I come from. They CONFIRM my BIAS that bugs as food is gross.

In reality, about 80% of the world eats bugs as a major food source. Sure they may be creepy-crawly and look weird, but look at this.

Alpha: Deep Fried Grasshoppers and Bamboo Worms

I know it’s bugs. I did the search to find it. But it actually looks kinda tasty. Something about my desire for crunchy, savory food combats the idea that eating bugs would be weird. Still, if I think about it too much it becomes gross again…

Seriously though, actively engaging your biases can be helpful and it’s easier than you’d think. Open your mind to the idea of you being incorrect. Even if you’re not completely wrong you may learn something new. Like Yvonne Pierre said;

It’s not strength, it’s Perception that makes you stronger. If you change how you SEE it, you’ll change how you FEEL about it.