Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do

“By acknowledging the distorting lens of fear and bias, we move one step closer to clearly seeing each other. And we move one step closer to clearly seeing the social harms—the devastation—that bias can leave in its wake.”

This quotation clearly defines Eberhardt’s thesis—that drawing attention to bias rather than engaging in a process of color blindness is the most effective way of addressing it. The book details the “devastation” that bias can cause by examining its roots in multiple aspects of American life.

“Our experiences in the world seep into our brain over time, and without our awareness they conspire to reshape the workings of our mind.”

One might summarize the equation of bias as experience + brain functioning = bias. Eberhardt argues that awareness through education and training is the best way to dismantle this equation. By understanding that bias is the result of normal processing and brain function, she is able to offer an objective roadmap for addressing it.

“Whether bad or good, whether justified or unjustified, our beliefs and attitudes can become so strongly associated with the category that they are automatically triggered, affecting our behavior and decision making.”

This quotation shows how the normal brain process of categorization can have external ramifications. Categorization happens naturally and is influenced by culture and experience. The beliefs that humans assign to categories can become ingrained components of the decision-making process.