Category Archives: Bias

What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know

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“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know, it’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.”

—Mark Twain, pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens

Image from Unsplash by Roman Kraft

Where do you get your news about national and world events?

I asked my new AI App Perplexity for its response to the most objective and trusted news sources, and here are the results:

  • Associated Press: known for neutral language and fact-based reporting.
  • Reuters: Focuses on comprehensive unbiased coverage of global news.
  • BBC: offers balanced reporting with a broad range of topics
  • PBS Newshour: recognized for its factual reporting and public trust
  • The Weather Channel: Consistently ranked as the most trusted news source in the U.S.

EXERCISE:

In addition to the other go-to sources of news we often visit, how might adding a few of these outlets increase the journalistic integrity and minimize the bias we often receive?

How often do you project your current mindset and assumptions into past and future events

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“How often do you project your current mindset and assumptions into past and future events?”

—Author Unknown

Image from Amazon

Over the past several years—and especially in the past few months—I’ve become increasingly interested in the phenomena of conscious and unconscious bias.

When I examined my upbringing and the various communities in which I operate, I experienced repeated rude awakenings.

It was always easier to see other people’s biases and be blinded to my own. Though books, seminars, and conversations with friends and colleagues, I’ve gotten a better look at myself and didn’t always like what I saw.

With greater awareness, I am inspired to do better, and filled with a sense of hope.

EXERCISE:

How aware are you of your current assumptions and biases?

When and how often do you use them to protect and justify your views?

Consider reading the book Caste — The Origins of our Discontents, by Isabell Wilkerson to take a deeper look into this important issue.