Do you remember the cricket player you liked the most when you first started watching cricket? Was it the player that was liked by the people around you? Did you ever pick the flavor of the ice-cream hated by your friends?
It is surprising but most of our choices are influenced by the people around us. When we are born we are free from any biases. But as we grow up, we start developing a distinction between good and bad through a slow and ongoing process of learning. This learning process is deeply influenced by the people around us. We pick up the biases of others to create biases of our own. Like endorsing the political party that our parents are affiliated with.
We all have heard the saying that “Birds of a feather flock together”. This proverb states a very important property of a group. There is always a cohesive force which keeps the group together. Like migratory birds travel together because they want to reach the same destination. We like to hang out with people who are like us or have something common with us. Groups strengthen common biases of the members and eliminate uncommon ones.
Having biases is as innate as breathing involuntarily. It is a survival mechanism that helps us make decisions that increase survivability. On one hand, it is in general good to learn from others experience. But on the other hand, it should not be the guiding principle for decision making. We should always consider the option of Logic.
Logic is a ‘well defined’ reasoning which brings us closer the truth. It is a gift which every one of us has. It distinguishes between the right and the wrong rather than between the good and the bad. It is a tool which is optional to use.
The problem happens when logic conflicts with bias. Sometimes a bias is very strong because it has been formed by years of learning. Most of the people yield to this kind of bias. They choose the option which is ‘good’ then the option which is ‘right’. Those who stick to logic have something new to offer to the society and these are the people who progress the society.
Can you recollect a situation when your bias overcame your logic? Which one guides you most? Please share.
