Bias and the Brain: 4 Tips to Overcome Your Own
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and thought, “Wow. I don’t know what they are thinking.”? You just couldn’t understand where the other person was coming from because of your own biases.
How do we untangle and overcome our personal biases? We all look at the world through a certain lens. These lenses come from many places and accordingly, there are several types of bias. In this article, I will be sharing some tips with you about how to identify your own biases so that you can remove them for better communication skills.
Tip #1: Identify the source. The first step is identifying the source of your thoughts and beliefs, which can be done by asking yourself questions like “where did I learn this”, or “who told me that?” And then it’s important to take responsibility for those thoughts so we know how they might affect us. One tip, in particular, emphasizes taking ownership over one’s beliefs; instead of saying things like “I think” or “they say”, simply make a statement about something you are certain about with phrases such as “This is my belief” and “I’ve decided”.
Tip #2: Notice your thoughts and emotions. It’s important to be aware of our own feelings, as they can lead us astray from what we believe in. For example, if you’re angry or triggered about something you see on TV or read online, it might cause you to form a biased opinion based on the news story without really examining it more closely with critical thinking skills. The key is learning how to pause before reacting so that we can take time for reflection instead of releasing pent-up reactions right away. One way is by taking three deep breaths when feeling intense emotions; this helps calm down the emotional response which then allows us to examine things more objectively than before.
Tip #3: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This is about understanding how other people see the world that may be different than you do. This is the number one way to develop empathy. Confirmation bias often happens when an individual only listens to sources of information they agree with. Spending time with people different from you helps combat confirmation bias.
Tip #4: Share what you know with others. This is about listening and understanding other people’s perspectives, then sharing yours to help inform their thoughts. The more we understand how others see the world around us, the less likely we are of having a biased opinion.
In conclusion, the best way to overcome your own biases is to be aware of them. Practice mindfulness, take a step back from the situation and try not to react too quickly or emotionally, seek out opposing viewpoints on any given topic, and surround yourself with people who have different opinions than you so that they challenge what you think. By being more mindful in all aspects of life including business decisions we may be able to make better choices for ourselves as well as others around us.
