{"id":36588,"date":"2024-03-13T09:22:40","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T16:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=36588"},"modified":"2024-03-13T09:26:54","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T16:26:54","slug":"thinking-under-the-influence-tui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/thinking-under-the-influence-tui\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking Under the Influence (TUI)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe man\u2019s words to me are not offered but flung:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018So, what are you? I mean, where are you from?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I say, \u2018New York.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018But your name is Carlos\u2013where are you\u00a0really<\/span>\u00a0from?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018I say, \u2018New York.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018Bueno, yo soy Latino-mi padre es Colombiano,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mi madre es Estadounidense<\/span>, naci\u00f3 en New York City,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I lived in 4 countries, moved 12 times, and went to 12 schools before I<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Graduated from high school\u2013is not what I would ever say in 12,341 years because<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I don\u2019t owe a damn thing to anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018What am I? What am I, a financial aid form? A vegan, red velvet cupcake recipe?\u2019\u201d[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

In the poem above, Carlos Andres Gomez uses poetry to fight the evil of bias when he says the question, \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d–in our current America\u2013is a slur disguised with a question mark, a passive aggressive microaggression saying: \u2018You are other. You are not from here. You are not, nor will ever be, one of us. Go back to where you came from.\u2019\u201d[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Pragya Agarwal\u2019s\u00a0Sway: Unraveling Unconscious Bias<\/span><\/em>\u00a0looks at the past and the future, at how evolution might have shaped our biases, and how tech can further perpetuate these biases. \u00a0Agarwal writes, \u201cOur instincts help us to assess people and situations quickly, determine whether or not we can trust them, and make timely decisions.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 Based on behavioral science, Agarwal, a data scientist who has worked on the dynamics of social interactions, unravels implicit bias theories. \u00a0Implicit hidden biases, she claims, impact our actions, decisions and interactions.[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 Building on multiple bias\u2019 theories like hindsight bias, conformity bias, stages bias, negative bias, and all the while detailing what is happening in our brains when bias is present, Pragya Agarwal uncovers the root of evolutionary bias. \u00a0As I read the book, it seemed her driving question was\u00a0what can we do about our problem with bias?<\/span><\/p>\n

Because I am an insatiably curious person and I genuinely want to know people, this is a question I must ask myself. I, too, have asked a person with an accent, \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As I reflect on the question of what we can do about our problem with bias, I find my thoughts circling around a key statement from\u00a0Sway<\/span><\/em>:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Prejudice is emotional bias that can lead to discrimination and alter our instincts about people.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Daniel Kahneman\u2019s\u00a0Thinking Fast and Slow<\/em>,<\/span>\u00a0he writes how many people are overconfident and prone to place too much faith in their intuitions\u2013they apparently find cognitive effort mildly unpleasant and avoid it.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 Just like our physical bodies need constant discipline to fight off decay and disease through vigorous exercise, our brains need equal discipline in switching to system 2\u2019s deliberate reasoning about the way we rely on bias. Our brains are naturally lazy and to save energy, it perceives problems easier than they are. Thus, our overconfidence and flawed human reasoning impacts not only the way we see ourselves but also the way we see others.<\/span><\/p>\n

My overconfidence can come in the form of curiosity; At times, my curiosity can serve my own needs more than another\u2019s. What can I do?<\/span><\/p>\n

Several times in\u00a0Sway<\/em>,<\/span> Praga Aragal named bias a \u201cmoral\u201d and \u201cethical\u201d issue claiming that as human beings we have a moral responsibility to move toward change. She writes, \u201cWhen stereotypes are played out and reinforced in the media, this quickly dehumanizes individuals, makes whole groups homogeneous, gives us permission to exercise our biases, and normalize such labels.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 What can we do?<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming Aware of Our Thought Processes and Behaviors<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Communication and culture scholar Brenda Allen coined the phrase \u201cthinking under the influence\u201d (TUI) to highlight a reflective process that can help us hone our intercultural communication competence.[7]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0She encourages us to monitor our thoughts and feelings about other people, both similar to and different from us. \u00a0As we monitor, we should try to identify instances where we are guilty of TUI, such as uncritically accepting the dominant belief systems, relying on stereotypes, or prejudging someone based on their identities.<\/span><\/p>\n

I once found myself \u201csurprised\u201d by a woman in a wheelchair who was joyfully (and with a wicked sense of humor) organizing an event for a conference. Upon reflection, I realized my preexisting negative assumption and tried to unpack and learn from it. Because she was different from me, I realized I had an assumption that people with disabilities would have a sad and disappointed outlook on life. Might my moral or ethical responsibility be to pay more attention to the stereotypes I internalize about race, language, intelligence or even someone\u2019s happiness? \u00a0Rather than criticize myself when I am caught in a TUI, I am learning the importance of reflecting on the moment and trying to adjust my thinking processes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pragya Argarwal writes about the inner workings of the brain highlighting how our brains can change with experience and environmental influences. Recalling chapter three in Rare Leadership<\/span>,<\/em> I remember the \u201celevator in my brain\u201d[8]<\/a><\/sup> analogy as I clarify my values in light of my deep sense of curiosity in relationships. \u00a0Might radical humility invite me to a place where my brain can heal of biases I know and biases I don\u2019t know?\u00a0 As Warner and Marcus note, \u201cwithout healing, the brain cannot be trained. Without training, the brain often doesn\u2019t recover.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My prayer is that my questions to others will fling the doors of hospitality and acceptance wide open so a stranger hears, “Welcome! Welcome. Come in.” <\/span><\/p>\n

What experiences or environmental influences bring your brain healing in light of bias?<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

[1]<\/a>\u00a0Bournes, Micah, and Chris Cambell, eds.\u00a0<\/span>Fight Evil With Poetry – Anthology Volume One<\/span>. Sideshow Media Group, 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/a>\u00a0Bournes, Micah, and Chris Cambell, eds.\u00a0<\/span>Fight Evil With Poetry – Anthology Volume One<\/span>. Sideshow Media Group, 2018. P. 82<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/a>\u00a0Agarwal, Pragya.\u00a0<\/span>Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias<\/span>. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2020.<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5040\/9781472971364<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[4]<\/a>\u00a0Agarwal, Pragya.\u00a0<\/span>Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias<\/span>. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2020.<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5040\/9781472971364<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[5]<\/a>\u00a0Kahneman, Daniel.\u00a0<\/span>Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/span>. 1st edition. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[6]<\/a>\u00a0Agarwal,\u00a0<\/span>Sway<\/span>. Ch. 4.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[7]<\/a>\u00a0\u201cDifference Matters\u202f: Communicating Social Identity – George Fox University.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[8]<\/a>\u00a0Warner, Marcus, and Jim Wilder.\u00a0<\/span>Rare Leadership in the Workplace: Four Uncommon Habits That Improve Focus, Engagement, and Productivity<\/span>. Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\n

[9]<\/a>\u00a0P. 35.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe man\u2019s words to me are not offered but flung: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018So, what are you? I mean, where are you from?\u2019 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I say, \u2018New York.\u2019 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018But your name is Carlos\u2013where are you\u00a0really\u00a0from? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018I say, \u2018New York.\u2019 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2018Bueno, yo soy Latino-mi padre es Colombiano, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mi madre es Estadounidense, naci\u00f3 en New York City, \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I lived in 4 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3114,3115,3116,2662,3118,3117,3071,2245],"class_list":["post-36588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brainhealth","tag-fightevilwithpoetry","tag-system1andsystem2","tag-thinkingfastandslow","tag-thinkingundertheinfluence","tag-tui","tag-warner-wilder-rare-ledership-dlgp02","tag-sway","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36588"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36591,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36588\/revisions\/36591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}