How to Avoid Unconscious Bias

Hi Everyone,

The unconscious bias needs to be addressed now!

This week has been incredibly sad watching ย the events taking place in America. Something needs to be done.

As The Eldersโ€™ Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: โ€œIf you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.โ€ We stand in solidarity against racism and for racial justice. Black lives matter

My true story – 8 years ago (pre FunkyForty) I went to Kansas for a business trip. One evening out shopping I saw a huge crowd gathering. They were watching a group of white policemen pinning a black man to the ground and beating him up. He was screaming for help. I don’t know what he did or did not do, however it was clear this was unnecessary. I asked why no one helped. The answer was that they were all too afraid to get involved, including me. However the memory remains and now I need to share it. The situation in America is not simply media hype.

This is a small token but avoiding unconscious bias is a vital step in the right direction.

Keep reading to find out how to avoid unconscious bias. All photos in this post were taken by me in New York during the Spring/Summer 2020 Fashion Week last September.

 

How to Avoid Unconscious Bias

What is unconscious bias?

Whether we admit it or not we all have unconscious biases. ย They are stereotypes we have learnt through our upbringing. Automatic, unintentional, deeply engrained within our beliefs, and affect our behaviour.

Recently driving through the Swiss mountains I encountered a group of female Shepards herding cows down the road. I was surprised. A simple example.

 

How to avoid unconscious bias

Here are 3 ways that you can reduce your own unconscious biases, help to prevent them impacting your decision making.

1. Recognise your unconscious biases

Start to think about the unconscious biases you may have. ย Question why you made the decision that you did. Was it a justified reason or was it due to an unconscious bias?

2. Focus on people

Purposefully remove all thoughts about a persons ย ethnicity, gender or class background, focus on them as an individual. ย Judge each person based on the evidence you see in front of you.

3. Increase exposure to biases

Once you’ve identified what your biases are try exposing yourself to them more regularly. Seek to prove your biases wrong it can have a positive impact on your behaviour.

 

My dear friend @streetnessmag

Most importantly be kind to yourself, be kind to others and help those less fortunate than you. It is time to treat everyone equal!


Hoping this post will make someone out there think twice before reacting unfairly to another person due to whatever bias they may have!

I can really recommend reading The Hidden Brain ย by Shankar Vendantam

โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”โ€”

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Hi! Iโ€™m Yvonne, a 40 something (wink) Kiwi, living in Zurich. I love fashion, travel, shopping and food โ€“ believing chocolate will cure almost anything!

8 Comments
  1. Thank you for your Blog dear Yvonne it is always the same somebody don’t like your colour and you are in for it way is it that way it is for sure not necessary then we are all human beings end should be treated equally

  2. Very good and true post, that everybody should take to heart! Thank you Yvonne!
    Love Tina ๐Ÿงก

  3. Hi Yvonne- I loved this post and I think it’s so on point. We definitely all have something to work on and these are great tips. Thanks! If you’d like you can come and link up your post over at my Fabulous Friday Link up (I do one every Friday)- I’d love for my readers to read this too:) I’ll go check out your Instagram now! Have a great weekend!

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