Skip to main content

Altona CAN! Understand our Biases

 A few weeks ago we explored the idea that to be able to move forward together on the big topics 

that divide us, we will need to be able to take the perspective of another -- to walk a mile in their 

shoes, so to speak. I had a lot of positive feedback from that article (Seek First to Understand) 

so it seems it struck a chord. 


I also heard some folks saying, “But what about when there seems to be no way to dialogue? 

When we just have such vastly different world views that there is no common ground to find, or, 

maybe even worse, we don’t even want to try.”


I have no simple answers, but I do have some more ideas for us all to consider. I recently listened

 to some podcasts about bias that I think offer a few more ways forward. 


Bias, in a nutshell, is the particular way we see the world. It is the colour of our glasses; the 

filter through which we experience everything. 

 


The trouble is that we tend to think we aren’t biased and that everyone else is. Our bias becomes

 the truth. We all do it. It seems to be human nature. But if we want to understand others better,

 if we want to find common ground, we need to start by becoming aware of our own biases. See 

if any of these sound familiar. 


Confirmation Bias: We tend to accept information that confirms what we already know and we 

resist information that challenges or contradicts what we believe to be true. 


Complexity Bias: We prefer simplicity over complexity. We’ll even prefer a simple lie over a 

complex truth.


Community Bias: We tend to see the world the way our “tribe” sees the world. Our tribe can be 

our family, church, community, social group, etc…


Complementarity Bias: If someone is nice to us, we’re more likely to be open to seeing the world 

from their perspective. If they are not nice to us, we won’t.


Contact Bias: If you don’t have contact with someone, you won’t see what they see. 


To be biased is not bad. It’s simply human. To become aware of our biases is the key, and to 

see others’ biases not as a threat or as a reason to reject them, but as part of their story, is the 

first baby step toward finding common ground. 


I am not speaking as any kind of expert. In fact, I’m pretty sure this topic interests me precisely 

because I need to hear it. I long for healing in this world and, as usual, it starts with a long, hard 

look inside.


 How do your biases influence how you see the world?

 

By Connie Heppner- Mueller for ACAN

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Environment, Energy and Economies - A Canadian Primer: ENVIRONMENT ENERGY AND ECONOMIES IN CANADA - Ray Hamm

A few companies account for more than half of Canada’s crude oil production: Suncor, Canadian Natural Resources, Imperial Oil, and Cenovus. (Husky and Cenovus have recently combined. Hong Kong billionaire, Li Ka-shing will hold approx 27% of the new Cenovus.) The oil industry in Canada has taken a hit. Larger external factors are more significant than pipeline delays and environmental regulations. (For example:  international oil prices collapsed.) If Canada would reduce production of petroleum, one of the first options should be to shut down the oil sands in Alberta.  Why start with the oil sands?  why not share cutbacks across the country? The oil sands produce 12% of Canadian Green House gases. Even with newer technology the GHG production of the oil sands is increasing every year due to increasing petroleum production. It costs more energy to produce a barrel of oil from the oil sands than from other sources. Oil sands technology has gotten more efficient but it is s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Altona CAN! ...Live Sustainably - Connie Heppner Mueller

Welcome to Altona Community Action Network’s new column - AltonaCAN! ACAN is a small group of concerned citizens who reach out to the community to educate and inspire environmentally sustainable practices.  What has that looked like? We have hosted annual Earth Day events on various themes and partnered with town council to bring year-round composting to Altona. It has meant coordinating the community garden and supporting Boomerang Bags Altona to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic bags. We have a newly formed Tree Team that hopes to have some more t rees in the ground around Altona this fall. We were also gearing up to lead some waste reduction efforts at this year’s Sunflower Festival, but sadly that will have to wait for next year. What started as a fireside chat between two friends 5 years ago, has grown to a team of 9 members: Gavin Faurschou, Joanne Wiebe, Marilyn Houser Hamm, Joel Martin, Jack Heppner, Jonah Langelotz, Amy Pankewich, Kelly Skelton and Connie Heppner M...
Post a Comment
Read more

Environment, Energy and Economies - A Canadian Primer: CANADIAN AGREEMENTS AND TARGETS Ray Hamm

A new Canadian Climate Accountability Act was introduced in November 2020, Healthy Environment and Healthy Economy, in December 2020. The Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate was brought out in July 2020 - developed with the provinces and territories and in consultation with Indigenous peoples - to meet our emissions reduction targets, grow the economy, and build resilience to a changing climate. These look like good plans and projections. We can only hope that it will all work. One needs to look fairly deep to see specific numbers, there are a few. For the next 5 years, most of Canada is to be decreasing emissions or holding steady; Alberta is still projected to be increasing GHG emissions. It is hard to find specific numbers and goals among all the good words in these new plans. Time will tell, actual numbers over time, will show the real story.  Canada has a mixed record. At a 1992 UN conference, Canada was seen as a leader. This did not last long. In 2009, Canada ...
Post a Comment
Read more