On Unconscious Bias: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself!

Today’s post, following on from my previous ones, is about us taking a moment to get really honest with ourselves. Uncomfortably so. Because I can guarantee that the majority of us hold some unconscious biases guiding our everything thoughts and decisions, that could be holding us back and causing issues in our increasingly polarised society.

Unconscious bias definition: Unconscious biases (also known as implicit biases) are involuntary stereotypes or attitudes held about certain groups of people that may influence our behaviors, understandings, and actions, often with unintended detrimental consequences.

Let’s check ourselves, as the educated and compassionate people we want to be, before we wreck ourselves and destroy our free and fair democracy.

Questions to check your community / echo chamber

Definition of echo chamber and advice for social media use

How many people from minority communities and groups do you interact with on a regular basis?

How many books by minorities or groups difference to your own have you read?

How many people from minority communities and groups do you respect and look up to as a role model?

Do the accounts you follow on social media all share the same political or societal views and values?

Do the accounts you follow all look the same, i.e. the same race, gender, physical build, occupation or socioeconomic background, sexuality, nationality, etc.?

Questions to check your bias

Are you more likely to agree with the views of people who look (and identify) the same way as you?

Are you more likely to value the views of the dominant social group (white, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied men) over minority and marginalised groups? Do you think the dominant social group should be the ones in power and hold the majority of seats in our government?

If you are in a position of power in your workplace, do you favour applicants or subordinate employees who are closer to your own group/identity?

Do you feel uncomfortable around people who wear a hijab (head scarf), turban, or burka?

Do you assume people who speak English as a second language, and have an accent, to be of lesser intelligence? (This also works for privilege checks, coming next, as it is a privilege to have English as a mother tongue which is a global Lingua Franca)

Are you more likely to befriend or seek out people of the same group as you, rather than diversifying your circle?

If you read a news article stating a Muslim person has committed a crime, are you more likely to take this to be true, and distance yourself from other Muslims (or most likely any South Asian person) afterwards, rather than checking the facts as you might do with someone who wasn’t Muslim?

The same question as above, but substitute the following identities:

Black personWhite personGay personMentally unwell personNeurodiverse / Atypical / Disabled personChristian personJewish personHindu personTransgender person

Questions to check your privilege

Do you ignore conversations about race, gender, immigration, human rights, LGBTQ+ issues, or disability issues because they don’t directly affect you? Do you leave it for those groups to speak on the topics?

Do you speak up when someone says something you feel is outdated and/or cruel towards minority and marginalised groups?

Do you laugh at or fail to even try to kindly pronounce non-standard or non-English names?

Do you organise gatherings or events which are so expensive that certain friends or family members can’t attend? Do you judge them for it, deep down, or resent them?

Do you think people should just “work harder”, “start a business”, or “get a degree” if they want more money, rather than asking our systems and government to better support all classes equally?

Remember

Firstly, it is a privilege to check out of conversations about issues affecting other groups. Not joining the conversation isn’t just passivity, it’s a luxury. You don’t have to worry because the topics (and any potential societal and political shifts from these discussions) don’t directly affect you. Understand and recognise this privilege. We all have privileges. But knowing it’s there and consciously choosing to help your fellow humans is important.

Activism and change takes many forms, not just protests and arguments:

Speaking up online (in a civil, educated manner please!)Speaking up in private conversations Challenging the harmful views of the people around you Demonstrating symbols of inclusion, equality, diversity and justice Read books and watch content outside your own group – and share it with others to do the same Remove and dismantle symbols or organisations that represent exclusion, inequality, hate, violence and injustice – research the companies you buy from and ensure they align with your morals and values; if not, stop buying from them (ethical shopping is a key part of activism and change)Making friends (or having conversations) outside your group and comfort zoneShare the voices and stories of activists or individuals who have been involved in the movement/ protest/conversation of interest to youEducate those around you (most importantly, yourself!) on issues that people outside your circle are facing

Secondly, “Minorities” are actually the global majority! It’s only a small number of the world’s population who are white, cisgender, heterosexual, and able bodied. So why do we have positive biases towards the evident global “minority” but not the global majority? Because of the stories we’re told about those outside this group, that’s why. Because these people are our world leaders. Because these people have taken from and destroyed the power, wealth and presence of the global majority. Tyranny, corruption, hoarding wealth, funding wars, colonisation, slavery, imperialism, fascism, authoritarianism, salience, storytelling and control over the media and political decisions…and so on and so forth.

Thirdly, you don’t have to get everything right. No one is expecting perfect political correctness or for woke culture to become the norm overnight! In fact, some apparent political correctness and woke ideals aren’t quite necessary and make a mockery of the real change we seek/need. All anyone is really asking for is respect, compassion, empathy, understanding and to be heard. Is that really so hard? If someone corrects you, and they are from a group you are not a part of, then listen and accept their view. Simple.

Lastly, politics is supposed to be about the people and for the people, right? That’s a fair and free and just democracy. But some of our leaders are not “for the people”. They live very detached lives away from everyday people. They have no idea how we are suffering. And some just don’t care. So we have to care. We have to fight for each other, together, as one. We are the majority. Don’t let small differences divide us.

Straight white men aren’t to blame for all our problems, they are just the faces in power. We are society. We are to blame for upholding any cruel, outdated or immoral policies, behaviours and practices in our country. Let’s make a change, together.

Thanks for reading. Let’s help one another and protect our fellow humans.

Sincerely,

S. xx