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> Pointing out someone's implicit biases is not necessarily a personal attack on them. Everyone has them so we should welcome when people point them out (unless
by blt 9y ago
> Pointing out someone's implicit biases is not necessarily a personal attack on them. Everyone has them so we should welcome when people point them out (unless done in an mean-spirited or aggressive fashion).
I wish I could upvote this 1000 times. We all have implicit biases, and they are often a product of society rather than personal failures. It is painful when you suddenly notice your own shortcomings. But the desired response isn't "omg I'm horrible", it's "I can try to fix this in myself, and think about how to fix it in the whole culture for future generations."
- refurb 9y agoHow about you just give the person the benefit of the doubt they weren't talking about race or gender unless they explicitly called it out? That would work to.
- bigfudge 9y agoNo, it wouldn’t and hasn’t. The whole point is that this type of bias does lead to discrimination in the workplace. Our prior should be that discrimination is happening. This doesn’t mean we are horrible people ... more often that we simply have reflected on the background assumptions/heuristics that drive our behaviour.
- refurb 9y agoSo you're saying we should always examine everything people say and view it through the worst possible light? That sounds like a great way to piss people off and get them working against you. I personally perfect the more charitable approach.