Can we see beyond Cognitive Bias?

Photo by Kev Costello on Unsplash

Can we ever really see beyond Cognitive Bias? This question is haunting me right now. I am actively trying to see beyond my own limited scope and worldview of origin, but still constantly find my brain filling in the blanks unconsciously. Even cultivating awareness doesn’t always allow me to capture it in real time. So, I truly wonder - can we see beyond our own unknown limitations? Can we only understand what we are trained to believe?

Cognitive Bias is defined here as: “...a type of error in thinking that occurs when people are processing and interpreting information in the world around them. … Cognitive biases are often a result of your brain's attempt to simplify information processing. Biases often work as rules of thumb that help you make sense of the world and reach decisions with relative speed.” In today’s world of polarizing news with opinions from all angles, it feels increasingly more applicable. A trusted advisor commented on the fact that in most cases you can find data to support both sides of an argument. So which one is “right”? Or is assigning a value like “right” or “wrong” the problem from the start?

In working with marketing for brands, I always try to think in terms of their audience and what content would appeal to them, the chosen audience, most. But what if their desired followers are different from me, the content creator? Could I put myself in their shoes? Even if they live a totally different life and come from a different culture? Even if I admire these distinctions, do I have a right to presume that I have any idea what it means to understand these differences through their lens or lived experiences? 

I follow Layla F. Saad on Instagram, and I highly recommend her content for everyone. I learn so much from her with her short-form posts and long-form book content. But I am not her target demographic. She very clearly states she is championing for understanding for POC (People of Color), and I am a white cis woman. I like to think I am a person with an open and inclusive mind, but I have found myself having reactions to her post reprimanding the white people who reach out when she clearly asks for opinions of POC only. These people may be reaching out to echo the sentiments I just expressed above, that they feel they are champions for her cause. But they are defying her clear call to action, which does not include them. And I feel she is right! It is not her responsibility to placate or praise someone for “trying”. In those moments where I sense a reaction in me, one which may veer towards judgment (“how dare she?”), I am grateful that I can pause, recognize my privilege, and learn to look inside and ask why. 

Why did this trigger me? What can I learn? 

I recently got out of a situation where what I felt and what I thought the other person felt was not reflective of what they actually felt. This situation was the catalyst for cognitive bias research. For even with constant communication, how did we end up so far apart in beliefs? Is it possible, at any age, to untrain the brain to fill in the blanks? 

And, does the type of bias matter? With Layla, the difference for me is race, which I can’t change, but what about uncovering or moving into a different cultural experience? Could a person with a Christian childhood background learn to recognize and minimize bias by marrying a person of a different faith and being exposed to their customs and rituals? Could a person come out later in life and move into a more open LGBTQ+ lifestyle and learn to speak natively with that community? Can one, as an observer, ever really understand? 

I’d like to wrap this up in a nice story arc and say yes, it’s totally possible! But I feel this is an ongoing conversation - both internal and external. There are hard truths that must be shown the light in order to move beliefs along. There are internal shadows that must be confronted without judgment or fear, and continued active listening to other viewpoints, as well as awareness of inherent systemic racism. 

I hope more people choose to share their authentic experiences from all cultures, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and points of view so that we may learn. To do so willingly, to share openly, is to expose oneself to the groups of people who are not willing to oversee their cognitive bias and their vocal opposition in public forums. It can even be unsafe, as hate crimes mount against different non-caucasian groups. But to the ones who are wanting to learn, who want to understand, that space (when it is safe to do so) is so appreciated and known as crucial to move forward. 

In current mainstream media, at least in my main circles, there is talk of villages- finding the group or groups to surround oneself with that may be different from the one of birth culture. What if this is the next step further? The “soul groups” that form at a smaller level to engender authentic living out loud then allow for greater merging and dissemination of cognitive bias at a global level. It may be another utopian viewpoint, like my desire for balance of the masculine and feminine in each of us, but it’s a world that I would like to live in. 

Perhaps the true answer is that I, as an adult, will always have to be aware that I may not be able to overcome bias. Especially ones hardcoded by childhood and living in part of adulthood without being actively attentive to this internal issue. So, I can strive to stay awakened and know that if I am triggered to fill in the blanks automatically, it is my job to address internally, not to burden that responsibility with anyone of a different viewpoint. That I can listen and acknowledge their points of view & experiences, and work to come to my own conclusions. 

And, while this is a lifelong ever-evolving process, getting closer to an independent internal compass allows for connection with other people who may feel the same way, bias or not. For accepting that other people may not be able to fully release their bias either, and to accept where they are without judgement. Maybe the biggest lesson of all is to know that to avoid being an adult struggling to release bias, perhaps we need to work on raising children free from it. By exposing them to many ideas and cultures while they are still young, and allow them to draw their own conclusions based on their own values - which may be very different from those closest to them, including their parents. 

For maybe, the point of trying to overcome cognitive bias is not to blindly accept another dogma, but to gain knowledge of different points of view, so that one can make convictions for themselves. Beliefs that can encapsulate and welcome opposing opinions, but stay true because these resonate to core values and morals, without trying to change other people’s minds. I think, in the end, it is an ongoing journey, one that I can only hope to travel with kindness and empathy for all parties.