We throw the word ‘inclusion’ around quite a lot, and I wonder if we spend enough time reflecting on what it means to be excluded. We’ve all been there. It hurts. And, I’m willing to bet we don’t want that for ourselves OR to be the person who inflicts that on others.
Belonging is not a nice-to-have, it’s a MUST.
Bias is a buzzword. Though a spotlight on racial injustice these past couple of years has brought awareness to bias, there’s still a long way to go. We all have an unconscious bias about any number of things we encounter in our world – bias is really just a different word for preferences, and we all prefer some things over others. Bias is, in and of itself, not a negative thing, though we often use the words ‘bias’ to mean something negative or judgmental. Unfortunately, there is a negative connotation around the word “bias” that we’re obsessed with; when we hear it we shut down and close off, which harms both ourselves and those around us.
In my first TEDx talk on The Pain, Paradox, and Power of Bias, I provide a new framework to help us overcome our biases in a whole new way. We are at a tipping point. It is urgent we normalize bias so we can start talking about it and become better equipped to deal with the differences we encounter.
Once we can disrupt the belief — and the world’s, that ‘bias’ is a dirty word, we can start to take control of these beliefs by using simple strategies to retrain our mind —just like breaking a bad habit.
When we do, together, we can work to create a community where we all belong and get along.
We’ve come a long way but we have further to go. Great work bringing this article to increase awareness.