Picture it. You’re sitting on a park bench and a person walks by, loudly talking on their cell phone. They’re dressed in business clothes and seem angry.
Then, a group of teenagers walk past, laughing and joking with each other. They’re playing loud music from a portable speaker.
Picture the business person again. What race did you imagine they were? What gender? And the group of teens? What race(s) and gender(s) did you picture?
Obviously, there are no wrong answers here. Yet, it can be interesting to examine how sometimes we have biases we might not even be aware of–those are called unconscious biases.
If you pictured a white man for the business person, for example, it might be worth asking yourself why you associate business people with white men instead of black women.
And, again, with the teenagers, asking yourself why you made whatever associations you made can be useful. If we’d said the teens were playing hip hop or country music–how would that have changed what you pictured?
We each have unconscious biases because of the context we live in. Stereotypes about people with different colors of skin, accents, disabilities, cultures, etc. are everywhere. Our families, regions, and media can all reinforce how we see people who are different from ourselves.
These biases are practically automatic, and can influence our judgments and behaviors. But the good news is that we can overcome our reflexive responses.
“It's normal and inevitable for people to have biases, but there are ways to unlearn [them]. Make sure that even if you think of certain people or groups of people differently, treat everyone the same and make sure that you're not imbedding your own biases into other peoples' minds.” -Ruth, 15
Starting out with an intention to react to others from a place of thoughtfulness can go a long way. The first step is slowing down. Notice if your reaction to someone else may be because they’re different from you in some way.
Take their perspective. Try to actively imagine what their thoughts, feelings, and even home life might be like.
Challenge your own assumptions. Ask yourself if what you believe about someone else is true because you’ve observed it or because it’s an old belief that you’ve been relying on.
Learn about other cultures so you can view their life and choices through their cultural lens.
Find some examples of people who go against the stereotypes of the group they fall into.
"I became aware of my bias when I had a conversation with a person from the group and they didn't show the traits I thought they would." -Nyah, 17
Expand your social circles to include people who come from different backgrounds, cultures, and racial or ethnic groups.
Becoming aware of and overcoming our biases is a life-long project worth pursuing.
BeMe