What is your suggestion for dealing with someone's bias (for people, ideas, etc)

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   midget38posted 11 years ago

   What is your suggestion for dealing with someone's bias (for people, ideas, etc)

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   temptor94posted 11 years ago

   From my experience, people who are biased about other people or ideas cannot be easily corrected. They tend to be very rigid and form a lasting opinion about everything based on stray incidents. They refuse to admit their bias and cannot accept criticism in any form. I have faced such people at my workplace.
   The best way to deal with such people is to avoid them and stay away from conflicts. Of course, they will develop a bias against you that you are too aloof, but that bias will be way milder and less ugly compared to those who take head-on conflicts with them.

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   MizBejabbersposted 11 years ago

   In most cases avoid them. You can't fix stupid. Having said that, My best friend is a highly biased Baptist, homophobic, you name it, except racially biased individual. Call it Karma, I guess, but when her son fell in love with an African American woman and they had two children together, she accepted and loved the children and never considered their color. (The relationship didn't last, and she has problems with his ex, but racial issues aren't involved, just the usual "ex problems"..) I wonder what would have happened if another of her (3) sons had decided he was homosexual. Sometimes the problem fixes itself.
   At work we tiptoe around the narrow-minded ones and try to steer clear of any conversation that might set them off. Usually our policy is to say nothing and walk away. If you handle it right, and apparently we are, they don't come after us. (Something like "I think I hear my phone ringing," or "Sorry, but the copier is available now, and I need to use it" usually works.)
   There are times, however, when you just can't keep quiet. Recently when one of them was ranting about the evils of Obamacare, I told her that I voted for it and was glad it passed. When she asked why, I replied that my son now had insurance (she already knew that he has a potentially fatal pre-existing condition.) It looked like a light went off in her head and she said, "Oh." I've never heard another word from her about that. We are still on good terms.

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      DzyMsLizzyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      "You can't fix stupid."  Indeed!  Could not have said it better myself.  Being retired, and hubby being disabled, we don't have much face-to-face interaction with such folks, but we are very politically active on FB--trying to educate at least some.

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   mbuggiehposted 11 years ago

   Work hard on finding a way to just walk away. I have learned that bigots cannot change because they do not want to change. I have learned that, for the most part, bigots think they are right and pride themselves in some presumed "righteousness".

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   Sri Tposted 11 years ago

   To understand that there are infinite concepts and lots of ways to see things. Everybody chooses their own views. They may be right, they may be wrong. There is no point in caring because people are in love with their points of view, even if they are wrong. They have free will to be good, bad or indifferent towards others. If they don't want to be fair or good, you can't make them. So it's best to be unconcerned about others opinions. They have to live with it. If it serves them well, that's good for them, if not they will suffer because of it.

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      Bob Francisposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I don't believe I have everr met anyone or known anyone that is absolutely not biased about something or someone. what a boring world it would be

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      Sri Tposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And that is why it is best to be unconcerned with the opinions of others.

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   fpherj48posted 11 years ago

   "I understand you are steadfast in your particular BIAS regarding___________.  I don't entertain that bias......but it's wonderful we have the right to our own personal opinions.......It seems this subject is something we need to avoid discussing. I see nothing positive resulting from verbal ping pong and I'm sure you can agree with me on that."

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      DzyMsLizzyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Well put.  I may go a round or two with someone, and when it becomes apparent there will be no meeting of the minds, I'll conclude with, "Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree."  and I leave it at that, and either leave or change the subject.

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   Fred Arnoldposted 11 years ago

   Usually a biased opinion or statement involves some type of fallacious thinking. Generally I will just point it out and see if the conversation can continue. Every person's opinion is important so a person should never be disregarded. You definitely learn a lot by being objective and listening. So avoiding a person is not, in my opinion, the best course of action. Obviously if they become angry and start to yell, you should end the conversation pretty quick. But one of the best things in life is a good conversation and you can't have that by negating everyone's opinion.

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   Mercy and poetryposted 9 years ago

   That is a question of Perception, it is lack of understanding that everyone has a right to his own opinion and belief, only that they should be ready to bear the consequences themselves. Read more about perceptions in the book called Perception theory.
   
   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/653934

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