I'm okay, you're biased

An Op-Ed piece in the New York Times titled “I’m O.K., You’re Biased” by Daniel Gilbert provides insight into the finger-pointing and defensiveness that occur so often in the blogosphere. The writer cites reseach that concludes we suspect others of bias more than is justified, and we think ourselves less biased than we actually are.

The article also delves into decision-maker objectivity, and how it happens that some of us will reach vastly different conclusions from the same set of facts:

Research suggests that decision-makers don't realize just how easily and often their objectivity is compromised. The human brain knows many tricks that allow it to consider evidence, weigh facts and still reach precisely the conclusion it favors.

Perhaps reading it will enable us all to be less judgmental and more tolerant toward each other, and less self-righteous. Who me...?

[If you find that you need to log in to read the NYT's article, but don't want to register with them to do so, you can use one of the logins from here - The Limey]

Comments

[SmokingGun on 20.04.06 at 14:35]

Stuart - the cynic in me suggests that's just soooo Bermuda.

Here's my take:

Everyone knows the old game played at the Chinese restaurant. When reading your fortune cookie just add "in bed" to the end.

When reading the NY Times article just add "in Bermuda'. Or any of your favourite pols for that matter. Works every time.

'specially love the line:

In Bermuda - "Most people have been around people long enough to have a pretty good idea of what drives their decisions, and when decision-makers deny what seems obvious to the rest of us, the rest of us get miffed. Sell our democracy to the highest bidder, but don't insult our intelligence."

[silencedogood on 20.04.06 at 15:17]

Stuart, your timing is impeccable but you are going to get me fired when IT sees I tried to access the second link to a hacking website.

[stuart J Hayward on 20.04.06 at 17:55]

silencedogood writes
Stuart, ... you are going to get me fired when IT sees I tried to access the second link to a hacking website.

A "hacking website", eh? Is that what it's called? Learn something new on LiB every day. I do hope you noted that the alternative logins were offereed by The Limey.

[J Starling on 20.04.06 at 18:04]

I have only just now read the linked article. I think it was excellent timing and very useful for this site and its frequent miscommunications and over reactions. Personally, and yes I'm displaying a bias here, I think it shows the need for an increased effort to stimulate critical thinking and reasonig in the school system and people in general. A clearer understanding of the scientific method, logic and probablity is vital for our modern world with its overdose of information where we often sacrifice verification for the sake of brevity. Also, and yes, I"m definitely being biased here, the final third of the article seems to validate the argument for a more cooperative and communal based civilisation where things work for people and not people for things.

[silencedogood on 20.04.06 at 19:32]

No worries Stuart. I think there are just some overzealous IT personnel hard at work at my company. It was actually the secondary log on which triggered the notice.

I've read the article now that I'm at home and agree it makes a good point. We are all human and prone to mistakes and sometimes we have got to chill out to realize we just made one. ahem, ahem. studies patern on the carpet ;)

[Bill Akin on 21.04.06 at 20:27]

Onlinenewspapers.com is very handy for the local view most anywhere and you can read the NYT without messing about.
Regards, BillA