Question Are you biased?

[Major]

According to Wikipedia...

Bias is an inclination of temperament or outlook to present or hold a partial perspective and a refusal to even consider the possible merits of alternative points of view. People may be biased toward or against an individual, a race, a religion, a social class, or a political party. Biased means one-sided, lacking a neutral viewpoint, not having an open mind.

So how biased are you? Are you able to form your own opinions objectively or do you tend to be prone to bias? Do you believe it's even possible to be completely without bias?

It's kind of a tricky question to answer since our own perception of ourselves is influenced by bias, but I thought it could be an interesting discussion nonetheless.

 

[idisrsly]

I know I am biased with certain things, especially religion. Perhaps only religion. With everything else I always try to keep an open mind and consider different opinions. I am not always easily convinced of an opposite point of view, but it does happen.

Even with religion, I try to see the other side, but I don't change my mind on that, ever. :lol:

 

[CaptainObvious]

I love what you put on the first option because we all are biased. I am able to eliminate much of my bias and view anything with a large amount of objectivity, but there's always going to be some bias. In regards to my faith, yes it is influenced by my upbringing but it's also influenced by personal things that have happened to me that convince me of its truth. Granted those things that have happened are viewed through a certain lens, nevertheless looking at them as objectively as I can they still convince me.

 

[Hilander]

Yes I am a little biased, I think we all are but I do try to look at things objectively when forming a opinion about something even if its religion or politics. You can't become so set in your ways that you can't see past your own bias.

 

[Millz]

Good thread idea...

I voted that I was a little biased. These days I always go into a topic with the idea that I'll think about it without bias at first and see what conclusion I come up with. It doesn't always work out so bias comes into play from time to time.

I agree with CO about what you said on option 1.

 

[Taliesin]

I am completely biased. I also try to put myself in other people's shoes all the time, and to at least take on other views long enough to think about them and decide if they have any merit for me. So, yeah, I'm both things at once... biased and as open minded as my bias will allow me to be.

(And if you can make sense of that then you must be a whole lot less biased than I.)

 

[Millz]

I don't mean to hijack the thread at all but I'll throw another question out there...

Do you think that it is a bad thing to be biased?

 

[Taliesin]

I think bias and open mindedness go hand in hand. You need to be able to listen to other ideas and points of view as objectively as you can, to be open minded enough to take them on board if they have merit to you, or to have enough bias to not take them on board just because it's something you heard.

So, no, a little bias is no bad thing at all... as long as it doesn't rule you.

 

[Sim]

I agree with Ephemera!

I'd say too much bias is bad. You always need to have a sufficiently open mind to question your own opinions, for that you are able to correct them when you realize your judgment was a prejudice.

On the other side, a total lack of bias, and thus convictions, means that you cannot have any opinion at all and that all your thoughts are totally random. And accordingly, your actions too.

You need convictions, even when none of us can ever be 100% sure these convictions are totally objective. And we all need moral convictions, IMO, and unless we simply decide in favor of certain morals, there are none.

On the other side, we need to maintain enough flexibility to reflect and think through our actions. And we shouldn't let get pride and ego get in the way of doing that.

Whenever we decide in favor of something, we also decide against something else (against the option we didn't take). Sometimes, we just have to take a decision and face the consequences, but don't have the time or resources to fully think the decision through. Maybe nobody ever has. Yet we have to decide.
------

According to Wikipedia...



So how biased are you? Are you able to form your own opinions objectively or do you tend to be prone to bias? Do you believe it's even possible to be completely without bias?

It's kind of a tricky question to answer since our own perception of ourselves is influenced by bias, but I thought it could be an interesting discussion nonetheless.

This also reminds me of the old story about the three blind guys and the elephant: There are three blind guys, and each of them touches a different part of the elephant. They get in a fight what they're dealing with. One touches the trunk and says: "It's a tube!" The second touches the skin of the foot and says "it's a tree!" and the third touches the hair and says "it's a sheep!".

We all have learnt to think in certain terms and to give certain ideas priority, because of our upbringing. So we see the world through certain glasses. None of us is "objective". But are we necessarily wrong? Maybe not, and we just see different aspects of the same picture.

Think of politics, for example: The (far) right cares about tradition, stability and safety. Libertarians care about freedom primarily. The left cares about material welfare and equality.

But aren't all of these goals noble goals we need to some extent, and it would be silly to take one to the extreme while ignoring the others? Safety without freedom is horrible. Likewise, freedom without safety is not satisfying. With total equality, there is no freedom, but what's freedom worth when some people only have the freedom to choose between starving and slavery?

 

[Major]

I am biased just like everybody else. I am a very logical person though, so I usually try to form my opinions based on logic and reason as opposed to my feelings and emotions, and that helps me keep as much objectivity as I can.

I think it also helps that I don't have a strong connection to any religion or political affiliation which might otherwise influence my opinions. In politics, I've learned to trust nobody. I think the people who trust one party over another, one news network over another, Rachel Maddow over Glenn Beck or vice versa, etc, are the ones who are most susceptible to having their opinions formed through bias. Like Eph said, it's important to be open minded and take in information from all sides and listen to opposing points of view.