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Bias: Always a bad thing?

Bias: Always a bad thing?

  • Total voters
    10
The Mark

The Mark

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So, a thought occurred to me.

Is bias always a bad thing?

For example, if I examined an incident, person, thing, place, or whatever, and found that it violated all or some laws both legal and moral (and personal and general), would I be wrong to find myself biased against it?

For example, I can safely say that the majority of people are biased against the way Nazi Germany treated Jews and other people in their concentration camps.

Is this a bad thing?
 
Gah, misspelled "sometimes" as "somtimes" in one poll option, can a mod change it please?
 
To me, bias is perfectly natural and normal, so I have no problem with it as long as it doesn't cause harm.
 
lizzie said:
To me, bias is perfectly natural and normal, so I have no problem with it as long as it doesn't cause harm.
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I agree, it is both natural, and in certain situations, benefitial. But like all things, it is best taken in moderation.
 
Bias is ingrained....our upbringing, education and personal experiences form us.

I own two successful businesses...surely, my view of the world, our economy, taxes, and our political environment is different than a welfare dependent brood mare, a whining union member, or a government employee seeking security on the public dole.
 
... if it is the most you're capable of it is the most you are capable of.


For example, if I examined an incident, person, thing, place, or whatever, and found that it violated all or some laws both legal and moral (and personal and general), would I be wrong to find myself biased against it?
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Bias is unjustified antipathy, antipathy based on intuition, pretense, or impression. It may turn out later antipathy toward something is justifiable, but the due process of justice had nothing to do with your feelings of hostility.

You can't expect a person given to bias to consistently be right on the mark. As a quality of character, a propensity to bias is not an admirable thing.

I own two successful businesses...surely, my view of the world, our economy, taxes, and our political environment is different than a welfare dependent brood mare, a whining union member, or a government employee seeking security on the public dole.
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Welfare is a preemptive check on crime.

Unions wouldn't exist if manufacturers could consistently treat their employees like human beings.

Government employees do good work and often work long hours.
 
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Morality Games said:
... if it is the most you're capable of it is the most you are capable of.




Bias is unjustified antipathy, antipathy based on intuition, pretense, or impression. It may turn out later antipathy toward something is justifiable, but the due process of justice had nothing to do with your feelings of hostility.

You can't expect a person given to bias to consistently be right on the mark. As a quality of character, a propensity to bias is not an admirable thing.

Bias is ingrained....our upbringing, education and personal experiences form us.



Welfare is a preemptive check on crime.

Unions wouldn't exist if manufacturers could consistently treat their employees like human beings.

Government employees do good work and often work long hours.
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My statement is borne from personal life experiences....which has created my opinions (bias)....accept it.
 
webrockk said:
My statement is borne from personal life experiences....which has created my opinions (bias)....accept it.
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Experiences that have been interpreted in a manner that are either true or false.
 
Morality Games said:
Experiences that have been interpreted in a manner that are either true or false.
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For the sake of argument, bias is acceptable because, as you said, it can be from correct interpretations, and the bias itself can be correct.
 
Morality Games said:
Experiences that have been interpreted in a manner that are either true or false.
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Truth also seems to be subjective for some. I'll stick to a truth that hard work, creativity, perserverence....(didn't happen over night, my friend) that has suststain me, an individual, and my family without government handouts and government health care....

of course my financial stake in the success? of this nation tints my bias, as well.
 
The Mark said:
So, a thought occurred to me.

Is bias always a bad thing?

For example, if I examined an incident, person, thing, place, or whatever, and found that it violated all or some laws both legal and moral (and personal and general), would I be wrong to find myself biased against it?

For example, I can safely say that the majority of people are biased against the way Nazi Germany treated Jews and other people in their concentration camps.

Is this a bad thing?
Click to expand...

By definition, yes.
It doesn't allow one to see as clearly as one would without it.
Might as well ask: "Blinders: always a bad thing?"
 
webrockk said:
Truth also seems to be subjective for some. I'll stick to a truth that hard work, creativity, perserverence....(didn't happen over night, my friend) that has suststain me, an individual, and my family without government handouts and government health care....

of course my financial stake in the success? of this nation tints my bias, as well.
Click to expand...

Welfare recipients, unions, and government employees shouldn't have to be evil for your accomplishments to have worth.
 
Without bias, there won't be opinions. Without opinions, society will fall. Without society, humans will die. Without humans, we won't be talking about things like these in a human-made invention.

Of course, overly bias is a bad thing.
 
Morality Games said:
Welfare recipients, unions, and government employees shouldn't have to be evil for your accomplishments to have worth.
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"Evil" ... your perception (bias), not mine. Upbringing and personal life experience affect our opinions (bias)......"I'm 15, my dad's in a union, and works for a Detroit auto manufacturer....". "I'm 19, unemployed, and have three children from three different daddy's.....". "I'm a state worker, and if I can just hold out for eight more years, I'll get a sweet pension....." "I'm self employed, and beat the streets seven days a week for every dollar I earn...." I'm a Wall Street executive that just knocked down 2.5 million this month...."

Bias....opinions formed by life experience.
 
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We all have bias. It can be bad when someone with a biased opinion refuses to hear or consider the other side of an argument.

I try to recognize my bias in order to keep an open mind about things.

Its appears to me that many don't share this quality. :(
 
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