Are you biased? Do you see the front or side view in the picture? In a recent presidential debate, one of the candidates said that we’re all biased, that is we have “implicit bias.” Because it’s the political season and politicians will say anything in a campaign to solicit your vote, I have no idea what the candidate meant by that statement, although millions interpreted it as a charge that, somehow, we’re all closet racists. I very much disagree with that statement, if that’s the intended interpretation.
There is another potential interpretation of the meaning of that statement, which is what I will address in this post. Saying that we all have implicit bias is a clumsy way of introducing the Worldview Window. I agree with this interpretation. We all have a Worldview Window. It’s part of our human nature. It’s a metaphorical window through which we not only see the world but also give it meaning.
At birth, our Worldview Window is crystal clear. We can observe this through a child’s behavior. Children love everyone. They’re open to everything. Anyone who has ever been around very young children, under the age of four, can see that innocent acceptance in the way in which children interact with one another. They see nothing different about one another. They have no prejudices until they learn such prejudices through enculturation and develop a worldview.
Much has been written about the difference between perception and reality, including my recent post. I’m not going to add to that discussion here. But, I want to remind us that there is a difference. As humans, we’re all hardwired to make meaning out of what our senses present to us. What I see, smell, or hear in a particular image or scenario may be quite different from what you see, smell, or hear. And, I have proof. There’s also scientific validation for those who don’t believe my anecdotes.
Over the last decade or so, I’ve presented various images and scenarios to my undergraduate and graduate business classes. Invariably, what the students see in those images or scenarios is almost always different. This is because we all have a worldview, which is a prism through which we evaluate what our senses bring us. Worldview is the product of our enculturation. Here’s an example. I grew up on a farm in Indiana. I have a Jewish friend, Alain, who was born in Morocco and came of age in both Morocco and Paris France. I can assure you our worldviews are different, and we assess varied meaning from the same scenario. But, we’re still friends, and our differences have enriched both of our lives.
Here’s an example of worldview in action. One beautiful May Sunday morning, Alain and I were sitting outside a typical Paris coffee shop enjoying the warm sunshine, the attractive mademoiselles walking by, and some libations, mine a café au lait and his a glass of green beer. Don’t ask! I can’t explain the green beer, except to note the differences in our enculturation. Out of the blue, Alain asked me a question, “Do you know what I think is so great about America?” I was kind of surprised by the question because Alain and I had known each other for quite a while, and this subject never came up— I’d had some lively discussions with his mother about politics, but never with Alain.
So, before answering, my mind was filled with thoughts about what he might say — thoughts like, how we have such great freedoms in America, or how hard we Americans work, the subject we’d discussed many times before. I said, “No, what?”
Alain said, “What I admire so much about America is the only thing that matters is money!”
Before I could express my surprise and dismay at his answer, he went on to explain.
“In France, success and moving up in the world is more dependent on social status, your family name, and a whole lot of other bullshit that doesn’t matter. In America, money is the measure of success. And, if you can make money, you can move up in the world. No one worries about where you were born, whether your family was wealthy or not, your religion, or even if you have the right education. You prove your success by making money! To me, this is the greatest thing about America.”
I would’ve never answered that question that way in a million years! Yes, we have the opportunity to earn money, but, to me, America is so much more than simply making money and moving up. The meaning you and I derive from the reality presented to us by our senses is wholly dependent on it. Incidentally, Alain and his family now live in America, and he has been wildly successful, monetarily and otherwise.
Why is this important? First, as I’ve already mentioned, perception and reality are not the same. Yes, I know we have a popular saying in this country, “In marketing and politics perception is reality.” Second, difference is not necessarily hostility, and certainly not racist. It may be perceived as hostility, but it’s incumbent upon us to know the difference.
So, are you biased?
This post is adapted from my forthcoming book: Ethical Intelligence: The Foundation of Leadership. Available on Amazon in late October.
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