The study of human behavior reveals that we come up with metaphors and terminologies to strengthen our points in a way that other person would not be able to respond and we win the argument. One of the famous cliches which people use quite commonly is, “do you have any evidence for what you have said?” about something which the person who asks the question may strongly believe and knows that the quantitative proof can never be presented. Sometimes, we use these metaphors totally out of context and unrelated to what we argue, just to dominate the conversation. Among those cliches, there is one which is commonly used, especially, during the conversations such as politics, religion, arts, culture, and music etc.
This cliché is “you are biased”.
When the argument is challenged it is easy to impose a “bias” terminology and prove that actually I was right but another person disagrees only because he/she is “biased”.
What is the definition of “bias”? The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers some definitions:
- An inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment: prejudice
- An instance of such prejudice
- Deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from the quantity it estimates
- The systematic error introduced into sampling or testing by selecting or encouraging one outcome or answer over others
- A line diagonal to the grain of a fabric; especially: a line at a 45-degree angle to the selvage often utilized in the cutting of garments for smoother fit
- A peculiarity in the shape of a bowl that causes it to swerve when rolled on the green in lawn bowling
- The tendency of a bowl to swerve; also: the impulse causing this tendency
- The swerve of the bowl
- A voltage applied to a device (such as a transistor control electrode) to establish a reference level for operation
Being an Electrical Engineer my favorite definition is number 9 above, “A voltage applied to a device (such as a transistor control electrode) to establish a reference level for operation.” This definition shows that the bias is the voltage which is applied externally to the devices (just like batteries in your cell phones, toys, TV remote controls etc.). However, some in devices, like the solar panels, absorb the sunlight and create a voltage – stronger the sunlight more the current. One cannot call the current as “currents generated by the bias”.
Now, how this example is analogous to the human behaviors?
The biases in people can now be compared with the electric circuit. The applied voltage or the battery is analogous to something that we hear and we analyze using little parameters and make our views and once we make our mind we do not let any other thoughts coming to our minds, just like an electrical circuit, which does not change its operations until the batteries (biases) are removed or weakened. However, the solar panel example can be compared to the behavior of people who have real-time information – which they may or may not be able to prove quantitatively – and like “stronger the sunlight more current” reality, more information about the issue mean more understanding and stronger arguments. It can only be changed if the counter-argument comes not from the one’s personal understanding or experience but from the strong information-based argument and from the one who does not belong to a specific group, who can have capabilities to hide and manipulate the information for his/her agenda. Just like in the presence of strong sunlight, the panel can be tempered so that it will generate enough currents which help the manipulators’ needs. Anyone, with an information-based view, can easily understand the “biased” views because those are usually self-contradictory and does not match the insiders’ information.
Recently, one of my friends, when I challenged his views regarding the internal fights in newly elected- Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and its leadership, and called his views as “biased” views, he looked into my eyes and said, “Don’t simply call my views biased, instead, please present some information-based rebuttal and deny whatever I tell you. Bring some counter argument which must not base on what you believe, must not the reflection of what you hear from commentators on TV, because you and I both know that most of them are compromised, but bring something on the basis of what you know and what you found out after talking to “insiders” — off the record. If you cannot, then please stop blaming me for being “biased”. Remember, everyone has a right to have an opinion, but facts are much powerful and highly destructive. So agree with me to disagree.”