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           %MYTH OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS UNDERSTAND BIAS 931109

     According  to  the  myth of objectivity we  may  best
avoid bias and  faulty logic by approaching each situation
in  an  emotionally detached and  objective  way;  in  the
analytic manner in which scientists manipulate and observe
inanimate objects.   The objective approach is believed to
help  us avoid the bias injected by  unreliable  emotions,
passions,  and self interest.   By shifting the  focus  to
exclusively  objective relationships it is hoped to  avoid
such bias.

     People  who  seek to be exclusively objective  in how
they approach situations introduce   new kinds of bias and
faulty thinking into the lives of their communities.

     Compulsively   objective   people  rarely  (if  ever)
acknowledge that their pride in  avoiding the mistakes  of
passion  and  unregulated  emotions by  being  exclusively
objective---is  in truth reflexive behavior which  focuses
upon  the  persons who presume to be  focused  exclusively
upon objects which are external to the participants in the
analysis.   Their pretense that  they are always objective
in their own behavior and their own consideration of their
own  past  behavior  is  dishonest;   part  of  their  own
collusive  games  of mutual self deception which  are  not
objective  in  nature.     They refuse to  own  their  own
behavior and refuse to own their own judgments about their
own behavior.

     Any  time  when we reflect upon our own behavior with
pride, realistic self-appraisal,  or  self condemnation we
are engaging in reflexive behavior which is not in nature.
When  we  are  engaged  in  wise  auto-regulation  we  are
behaving reflexively, not objectively.  When we learn from
our mistakes and  successes we  are  behaving reflexively,
not objectively.   When we seek  to perfect our knowledge,
skills and understanding we are  behaving reflexively, not
objectively.

     People  who  are proud of how  exclusively  objective
they  are  in  their analysis of  human  situations  blind
themselves  to  important aspects of the situations  which
they  analyze.   The more important the situations are  to
humans, the more tragic is the bias which such exclusively
objective people introduce into the analysis.  The myth of
objectivity  does  not offer unbiased  guidance  into  the
analysis of  biased human   behaviors,     self-appraisal,
judgements,    condemnations,    intimate   relationships,
learning,   and auto-regulation  patterns.   The  myth  of
objectivity  helps many people who  are trapped/imprisoned
in  collusive games of mutual self deception  to  maintain
the apparent integrity of their dishonest games.

     We need to honestly recognize,  name, describe, write
and talk  about the ways in which the myth of  objectivity
undermines  our  ability to transcend many of our forms of
bias.   Our myth of objectivity undermines our freedom  to
see  the many different ways in which we may be biased and
blinded  to important aspects of  our  relationships  with
other  people and with the objects which are most near and
dear to the us who manipulate them.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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