4 ms·
p = 101.5 Think of it this way. Biases certainly do have an obvious cost. We think it's $100 when it's obviously not. This is a cost, there's no denying that.
by deltasevennine 4y ago
p = 101.5
Think of it this way. Biases certainly do have an obvious cost. We think it's $100 when it's obviously not. This is a cost, there's no denying that. But that same bias still exists for an evolutionary reason. It cannot be denied. Thus this bias has a benefit as well. A hidden benefit that is not clear. Maybe this benefit is no longer applicable in modern times... but we can't know for sure. It's likely such a bias is a side effect of something else.
>But this kind of biases may make us racist.
Depends on what you mean by racism. Being "against" anything or "for" a part of a team is part of group think. You buy into the current woke culture and that in itself is bias. But it's a good bias, it helps you.
Let's think of race logically. If genetics can describe the way races look... from darker skin on Africans, smaller eyes for asians, and lighter skin for Caucasians... Then by what black magic does it suddenly cause all mental faculties and behavioral tendencies to be equal across races? There is no logic behind behavioral equality at all, yet it is culturally insensitive not to believe it. In fact if you state you don't believe it, you will get attacked.
This black magic pervades our thinking and biases and we assume it to be true. If someone says black people are more likely to criminals because of inherent higher aggression, according to modern culture, that statement is bad and racist. Yet according to the logic of pure rationality the statement has enough validity to be considered for study. The statistics show higher correlation with crime and certain races, the logic of genetics don't deny it as a possibility either; the final logic is thus inescapable and the overall assumption is worth looking at.
If you're extremely rational, and extremely logical. Researching for the fact that genetics can influence behavior between different races is a valid research subject. But to do this you have to be above the biased group think. And if you're above the biased group think, you're going to get attacked for being a racist.
I bet this post will be flagged for even mentioning genetics and racial behavior, EVEN if it is a logical possibility. And that is a real example of how biases protect you. By being biased, by being completely unaware and buying into the current group think you're protected from attack and group self selection. By existing on a higher rational and unbiased plane you open yourself up for reactionary attacks. I likely will automatically get compared to the KKK for believing that racial differences across physical aspects and behavioral aspects are real.
Even believing that "rationality and unbiased-ness is great" is buying into biased group think. Everybody thinks rationality is better, everybody thinks of themselves as rational when in reality neither statement is completely true.
>Biases are tools for fast thinking.
This is your "bias" talking. We aren't clear what they're all for. Some could be for fast thinking. There's no definitive scientific evidence for what all our biases for, so logically you're being biased for making such an assumption. It's typical. People have biases that make them try to simplify the world around them. There's huge complexity here but you simplified it into a singular talking point: Biases are just things for fast thinking.
Another biased talking point: Racism is bad.
My guess is that some biases are for fast thinking. But not all. There's a potpourri of thousands of reasons for each of the multitudes of biases we have.
Personally, to be truly unbiased, to be truly emotionally uninvested into anything is a curse. It's the fruit of knowledge. You don't want it at all. Once you eat that fruit, there's no going back.
- jraph 4y ago>> Biases are tools for fast thinking. > This is your "bias" talking No, this is my current view after reading/watching things about critical thinking. This might be a bias, but not an instinctive/builtin one. You have a point when you say that we don't have evidence on why biases are there. But this is how I choose to try to use or avoid them. My phrasing was imprecise. > to be truly emotionally uninvested into anything I'm not advocating this. > A hidden benefit that is not clear. Maybe this benefit is no longer applicable in modern times... but we can't know for sure It goes both ways then. I think I see my biases as weaknesses (for taking well-thought decisions) and you, as strengths. I mainly seek truth, you mainly seek survival. I don't think trying to avoid my biases will put me in danger. I believe biases impair my reasoning (and so will go against me reaching the truth - of course, truth is not always an absolute thing). Given this, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Your point about "Hang on, biases might be there for good reason, careful before trying to avoid them" is interesting though.
- deltasevennine 4y ago>> A hidden benefit that is not clear. Maybe this benefit is no longer applicable in modern times... but we can't know for sure >It goes both ways then. It's not logical to assume that it goes both ways. One could say only 1% of our biases are unsuited for modern times and as a result of this not even worth considering as a general fact. This is a real possibility. To assume it "goes both ways" is a bias. >I think I see my biases as weaknesses (for taking well-thought decisions) and you, as strengths. Everyone sees biases weakness. This is in itself another bias. You are also taking a specific perspective of something. To be unbiased is to take no perspective. >I mainly seek truth, you mainly seek survival. You seek survival over truth, this is universal across most humans and any deviation from this, has a very low probability of being true. Humans place survival and survival of offspring as priorities higher than anything else. This is an evolved trait. Think about it, let's say I'm a psychic with a gun. I point the gun at you (or anyone) and tell them to actually believe that the world is flat or I'll shoot them. I'm psychic so I know if they don't truly believe it. I'm pretty sure you (and everyone else) will be trying their damn best to deny all truth. Survival > truth for basically anyone. I hate to say this, but being unaware of this without me illustrating the concept with an example is also a form of bias. Centering your opinions and viewpoints around something you "seek" is also another form of bias. >> to be truly emotionally uninvested into anything >I'm not advocating this. Any emotional investment is bias. By not advocating this you are advocating bias. Basically, you are not an unbiased person. The content of your writing shows this. You buy into cliche biases that most people buy into. This is a good thing. It's also possible that you might get defensive over what I'm saying. It seems, part of your identity is invested in "truth seeking" so for me to say you're not biased can in itself trigger another bias in you. I, on the other-hand, am more unbiased then most people. The fact that I can see most of these things easily is a form of detachment that most people aren't capable of. My unbiased-ness literally makes me believe in things racist people believe in. It makes me have zero identity, zero pride, and zero patriotism of any form. I don't even take pride in "truth seeking" that most science believers like you believe in. I'm telling you. Being unbiased is not necessarily a good thing. This isn't knowledge that changes your life for the better, it makes you disconnected from most people. It's a deviation from our biological nature and achieving this state is highly unnatural. Humans are evolved to be biased. To deny our bias is to go against our true nature. But then again It's pointless for me to say this. You aren't an unbiased person to begin with and most people in your position don't ever get to the point where I'm at.