04/27/2026
It's license renewal season! I'm updating my social work education and thought I'd share a really well written reminder of how the existence of bias doesn't make us bad, just makes us human, and sometimes helps us respond quickly in dangerous situations. Identifying it's presence in our life is great news because it makes us more capable of adjusting how it impacts the way we show up in the world :)
"Every human being carries biases. These may be implicit—subconscious attitudes and judgments that operate outside our awareness—or explicit, which are conscious opinions or beliefs. Both forms of bias shape the way we perceive people, interpret behavior, and make decisions.
A bias is not always malicious or intentional; sometimes it is simply a shortcut the brain takes to process information quickly. However, biases can still lead to inaccurate or unfair judgments. For example, how a person looks, the way they speak, or even where they live can influence how we view their behavior.
Implicit bias is particularly challenging because it is hidden. You may not realize that you associate poverty with neglect or assume that a teenager of color is more likely to be defiant than a white peer. Explicit bias, on the other hand, is easier to recognize because it is conscious—a person may openly believe, for instance, that one group is less capable than another.
Both implicit and explicit bias can manifest as prejudice, discrimination, or oppression at individual, community, and systemic levels. These biases are not created in a vacuum; they are shaped by history, cultural conditioning, upbringing, and exposure to stereotypes in society and media. Left unchecked, bias can create disparities that ripple across generations.
The good news is that once we become aware of our biases, we can take proactive steps to minimize their impact on our professional responsibilities."
