We don't easily recognize our own irrational bias. We all have them. I recall times I was embarrassed to realize mine. It was shocking. It wasn't anything anyone said but rather my experiencing something that shattered a pre-conceived notion.
One of those experiences happened at Allegheny Collage when I happened upon an art exhibit featuring photos of black neighborhoods in the 1930's. It was long ago and I don't recall if it featured a particular city or variety of cities but the black and white images were stunning and totally confronted my pre-conceived notions about "black life".
All of the homes were fancier than the homes of my family. Beautiful cars were parked in the driveways and the people dressed like movie stars. I circled the gallery several times staring at the images and feeling increasingly stupid. Assumptions are strange things. This was over 40 years ago and it still resonates with me.
I treasure that day because it reminds me to be cautious about assumptions. If someone says something that conflicts with what I believe to be true, I'm more open to exploring it. It makes my life much richer and causes me to be more open to new experiences. I wouldn't want to live another way.
It's shocking to encounter others who vehemently defend what now seems to me to be extreme views. They grow angrier and angrier if confronted with a different perspective. That's a hard way to live. The thing that stands out is fear. And it's fear that is irrational. That's a hard way to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment