Unconscious Bias – A Threat bigger than pandemic!

Introduction

The recent ongoing protest in the USA which is spreading across length and breadth is a great concern for not only The USA but for many of those who inspire for the progressive,   open, and transparent world.  Protest against racism is spreading across The USA & beyond the boundary. Outrages and it is dividing the nation into groups especially in Black and white.

 As human beings, we Inspire life with Prosperity, success, having access to power, justice & morality with fundamental freedom to think, feel, act, and behave in society. Leaders are responsible for creating & maintaining the base ground as per the laid down democratic & constitutional process & citizens are responsible to abide, behave, and act accordingly to maintain. Lack of awareness, consciousness and not being empathetic to other’s needs, freedom, sentiment, emotions, thoughts disturbs the whole systems and creates a chaotic condition as happening in the current situation in the USA. A few months back towards the beginning of 2020; we in India experienced a similar situation as you all are aware of. Racial bias, like a mental disease, has impacted the whole world for a long time. Most of the countries have suffered and have their numerous stories behind.

 Bias deeply rooted in our society, plays with its ill motifs and nasty roles, shows up its occasional ghostly appearance when get triggered by the cumulative bias of masses.. it leads to hatred, violence, and sometimes destruction. It is defined as a kind of prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or a group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. It is so deeply rooted in the mind of the individual that most of us, somehow or someway got victimized of bias in life, either in family, schools, institutions, workplaces, society, and in the nation.  The Unconscious Bias in the workplace is a buzz word of the corporate environment now.

 If the situation & state gets captivated due to racial bias in a democratic country like India, USA, it’s a great concern for the whole world. It shakes the world and gives a signal of negativity. People consider these as a barrier and threat to peace, progress, and betterment. It derails the progress and widens the gap among groups.

 The Price We Pay and Our Generations Likely To Pay

 “Racial bias” can be used synonymously with prejudice because it allows for the inclusion of both positive and negative evaluations related to the perception of race. Unconsciously, we begin to create racial biases towards another group of people starting at the very tender age of 3 creating a “My group or your group”,  “  In group and Outgroup”, “ Our religion  and Your religion “  view on members of various races & sometimes specific to society, an example in India like caste, religion etc.  It is pervasive.

Without going much deep into the account and financial report, we can easily estimate the kind of tax the whole world is paying for this racial bias. Not only in the form of the dollar but when we consider the emotional aspect it is immeasurable. The kind of disturbance it creates in society, in families and in nations as well for the whole of the world.

Bias creates differences in family, in society equally as well in the Workplace. Workplace bias is becoming a concern for many corporate and business leaders. Many of us suffer due to the basis 

 Types of Unconscious Bias 

 Racial Bias is just a small pie out of the large bias cake. Racial bias definitely has its violent shape and has got a drastically negative impact. What about those who are making us suffer and impacting negatively in invisible form and impacting each and every moment silently.  However, we have plenty of biases that are hidden and are working at every place and everywhere unnoticed. These are blind spots, which make people suffer, disturb, and deny justice to others in every walk of lie …In family, in society, and the workplace as well. This is like a contagious viral spreading its tentacles across everywhere. This is a buzz word in the industry and most organizations pay taxes for the bias in the mind of its partners, employees, and founders. We all have this. Bias stands as a barrier in our progress at the individual level at the team level and collectively at the organization level. This adds complexity to our already complex world. Its brings more ambiguity to the already a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) world.

In reality, bias affects us and our decision making in various ways including Perception, Attitude, Behavior,  Attention, Empathy, Micro- affirmation(How we comfort people in a certain situation) 

 There are many but predominantly, Psychologist identified 5 types of Biases -

 

1.   Affinity Bias: This leads us to unconsciously favor people who are like our example. People who look like us, Sound like us, behave like us or with whom we believe we have something in common.

2.       Confirmation Bias: We see & hear in a way that confirms our expectations. It is a tendency to search for, interpret, focus on or remember information that is aligned with our preconceived opinions. Many projects fail or we fall trap into societal problems due to this. The communication gap arises out of this.

3.       Horns and Halos Bias: In this bias, we see one thing about a person either halo or horn. In a halo effect, we perceive one great think about the person & we oversee all negative qualities. However, in the Horn effect, we can see only one bad thing about the person and we oversee all great qualities.

4.      Attribution bias:  In this bias, when we are successful, we tend to think it  is due to our merit & personality When we do something bad, we tend to think that it is due to external factors and blame people and situations for this. 

5.       Handsome Bias: In this bias, we believe that handsome people are smart, intelligent, and are the most successful. This overlooks the negative side of handsome people.

 Overcoming Bias for making the world a better place to live

 If we are not careful today and not responsible & accountable for tomorrow, our generations will keep on paying taxes in many forms as we are doing!

Can we afford to see our generations spending their precious time and energy fighting against this artificial friction that could have easily resolve and taken care of?

We can contribute towards a greater place, a culture, especially a mantra India, promote as a core value, Vasudeva Kutumbakam .. The whole Earth is a single-family. There is inclusion for all diversified groups, thoughts, and ideas. Every diversity is accepted and included to bring harmony around.

Many of us cannot accept and comprehend that we start developing the bias at the tender age of 3.

Are we as parents, responsible for planting the seed of bias in the brain of our child?

Is it only the seed of Racial The bias we are planting into the tender brain or some other seeding which germinates into weeds inside the fertile brains, that eventually hamper the productivity and stand as a barrier to the progress of others?

We were grown up with the weeds growing hidden deep inside and it is contagious and get transferable. However with little care and responsibility, if we uproot these weeds from within we can stop it and nip it from the bud of our next generation. Of course a herculean task at the cumulative level but an easier task at the individual level.

Great reforms start from Individual responsibility!

 

Responsibility for creating a “Culture of Minimized Bias”!

 Our mind is always at work & it contributes to great progress if be friendly, however, leads us to havoc and destruction if remain uncontrolled & unfriendly. When we are in an unconscious and unaware about self, about the situation and society and act to satisfy our own selfish desire, we are prone to give space to bias in various ugly forms. 

 The mind becomes a dangerous playground  when captivated by Unconscious bias  & start developing bias in the area of life, they come across like  - Gender, Upbringing, Physical ability, Education, Culture, Religion, Eternity, Seniority, Income, Sexual Orientation, Mental Ability, Age, Marital Status etc.  It is pervasive and we all have them in hidden form. It gets triggered automatically and rapidly. These are all blind spots when we are unaware, unconscious and we are not connected deep within. We get attacked by the virus named BIAS & we are prone to get attacked every moment through the misleading factors and carriers all around.

Blind spots are the reality of life, we are unaware either out of our ignorance or because of our obsession, unknown to us but distinctively shows up through our behaviors, language, our activities & get noticed and felts by others.  It remains hidden within our brain & keep on showing up its ugly forms unless we are aware, conscious & sensitive to others.

Conclusion

Very good news … bias any form housing in our subconscious brain, can be overcome up by developing consciousness and awareness. When we minimize our blind spot through awareness and feedback mechanism, we start getting aware of and become free from this bias.  When determined to uproot it from the deep within and committed to discipline with awareness, empathy, and consideration, we can manage it and keep it controlled state if we are unable to eradicate. We have the power to minimize & control it.  

With little care and practice we can bring bias under control at the individual level and contribute for a very happy and inclusive society by accepting diversity.

It’s a problem with every individual. With responsibility and accountability, we can create a culture of Minimized Bias. When we develop consciousness and embrace and include diversities in life, certainly we minimize the bias. When we are mindful we are aware of our thinking, feeling, and acting & our behavior & we think in higher consciousness. Deep connectivity enables us to connect with ourselves & with people, new energy flow which supports us to be empathetic and sensitive to others. With love, Trust, and Cooperation we win hearts and expand our horizon. We move from fear to action, we move from scarcity to abundance. We move the world towards a better place to live and create equal opportunity for everybody around.

Thank you.