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Bias, and critical thinking

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https://shalomplace.org/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/72410135/m/3874097148

30 January 2018, 08:47 PM
Phil
Bias, and critical thinking
Here's a little gem I found recently by Tad Dunne, who has written on the spirituality of Bernard Lonergan, S.J. (who has deeply influenced my own thinking).

- http://stilllearning.sienaheig..._thinking_-_bias.pdf
quote:
Objectivity is not the opposite of subjectivity.
It is the opposite of biased subjectivity.
Therefore objectivity is the result of unbiased subjectivity.


It's a short read and very accessible. Enjoy! And feel free to share your unbiased opinion of it. Wink
07 August 2018, 01:14 PM
Tucker
Well, if a person has been through a lot of therapy or years of introspection that article would make a lot of sense Smiler . It makes a lot of sense to me Smiler . But most folks that are going to read it will become more or less defensive in some sense of the word which is going to cause an "understanding" shut down to various degrees. That would be my unbiased opinion as a person that has gone through a lot of years of introspection. Our biases actually create the safety that we have in our personality programming and to question them is to take one to a very unsafe place. But to me there are no safe places, at least in this reality, so understanding one's biases are just another unsafe place that one has to deal with Smiler . And I would never tell another person what their biases are, I would just talk in a reality that does not threaten their biases.

Biased subjectivity also makes you very vulnerable, which normal personality programming says is not true Smiler .
Love, tucker
07 August 2018, 03:33 PM
Phil
Good points, Tucker.

I am assuming that the majority of readers on this Board are Christians who do have some degree of trust in God and a commitment to living truthfully. Even without those attitudes and values, however, we might ask the question Reality Therapy poses about dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors:
"How's that working out?"

There are consequences to living a life of bias, none the least of which would be failure to authentically live the life we've been given.
11 August 2018, 11:59 AM
Tucker
quote:
Originally posted by Phil:
Good points, Tucker.

I am assuming that the majority of readers on this Board are Christians who do have some degree of trust in God and a commitment to living truthfully. Even without those attitudes and values, however, we might ask the question Reality Therapy poses about dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors:
"How's that working out?"

There are consequences to living a life of bias, none the least of which would be failure to authentically live the life we've been given.


Phil, I love this personality programming stuff, mostly because I have spent so much of my life in deep introspection under my Master Lord Jesus' guidance at my request because of: "How was that working out?" was not working at all Smiler ! At least in the opinion of the people around me Smiler because I thought I was doing quite nicely until they pointed things out to me. They were just as screwed up as I was, but they never changed. Through a lot of pain and effort and time, I have made significant changes in my personality programming which has made me able to be somewhat at peace with the personality programming problems, for lack of any other term, of others.

Phil, I have not ever heard of Reality Therapy. That sounds interesting!
Love, John
13 August 2018, 11:19 AM
Phil
Reality Therapy was quite popular through the 70s and 80s, especially in the schools, where it was used as part of disciplinary policy. Many therapists also added it to their approach, and I still make use of it. TV's famous "Dr. Phil" seems to use quite a bit of RT.

I was blessed to have a week-long training with Dr. Glasser, who founded this approach, in 1979.

You can find out more about it via the link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_therapy
13 August 2018, 12:52 PM
Tucker
quote:
Originally posted by Phil:
Reality Therapy was quite popular through the 70s and 80s, especially in the schools, where it was used as part of disciplinary policy. Many therapists also added it to their approach, and I still make use of it. TV's famous "Dr. Phil" seems to use quite a bit of RT.

I was blessed to have a week-long training with Dr. Glasser, who founded this approach, in 1979.

You can find out more about it via the link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_therapy


Choice Therapy Smiler . It is funny but my Master gave me that one and I didn't know that there was anybody else doing it. The foundations of the personality programming changes that I made over the years were based on a version of Choice Therapy. Which seems to me to be the only real logical approach to things. My needs hierarchy list is a bit different than his. The foundation of all needs except for sexual of course when it is hormonal, it to feel "safe" (not powerless or vulnerable). Either physically "safe" or psychologically "safe".

Programming bias and Choice Therapy Smiler !

Love, tucker