Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Despite cries to the contrary, we want bias. Our individual bias is what makes us individuals. Do we really want everyone to be the same? I doubt it.

“We need to reduce bias,” said someone who meant well but wasn’t thinking things through.

I am biased. I like some things and dislike others. I tend to one type of solution over all others. I go to one coffee shop instead of all others. I eat much more rice than the great majority of Americans with the family name Phillips.

Just about everyone I have ever met is biased. They like this instead of that and go here instead of there.

Our biases make us individuals. If none of us had bias, if we were all the same, we would all be the same. Does anyone want all of us to be the same? I certainly don’t, and I am biased that way.

All this bias can be quite inconvenient at times. I mean, if folks would just see things my way…it would be awful boring and we would all make lots of needless mistakes.

Admit it. We are all biased, and that is a good thing. Let’s deal with it. We can do better.