Why has "bias" become such a bad word?

[Random Variable]

Isn't it natural for humans to take sides?

 

[pallander]

You take side due to wrong fact,that is bias..to me.

 

[pallander]

let me give you an example of what I call bias:
all americans love McDonalds and Coke,they all have a gun under their pillow and love to go to war,and all they think of is money;-)

 

[hans007]

well in statistics a bias is just a trending toward one side.

but most people tend to think of it as a preconcieved idea, so that people arent as openminded to accept another side.


the 2nd thing i wrote well thats not really that good, it leads to a lot of bad things.

 

[Jzero]

<< let me give you an example of what I call bias:
all americans love McDonalds and Coke,they all have a gun under their pillow and love to go to war,and all they think of is money;-) >>


No, that's stereotyping.

You can't work for me because I don't hire Swedes.
That's bias

 

[Texmaster]

Bias isn't a dirty word, getting people to admit they have a bias, now thats a completely different problem

 

[SpecialEd]

why are you so biased againist the word "biased"!!!

 

[Bulk Beef]

If you have an opinion, you're biased. Yes, the news media should present facts without bias. You, the individual, should not be so restricted. I've noticed that a lot of people here don't seem to realize that.

 

[pallander]

>. You, the individual, should not be so restricted. I've noticed that a lot of people here don't seem to realize that.
>>
I am very biased indeed,and I think I have good reasons for it too..

 

[PlatinumGold]

<< all americans love McDonalds and Coke,they all have a gun under their pillow and love to go to war,and all they think of is money;-)
>>



that's not bias, that's a generalization.

bias is when i think my son is better, smarter, cuter etc than all other 5 yr olds

 

[Amused]

Because objectivity is ideal when debating something based on facts. However, no one can be 100% objective, and bias is perfectly natural. We all have bias for one thing or another. Take our families for instance. How many of you can honestly say you are not biased towards your family over every other human? And it goes on down the line from there.

 

[Miramonti]

let me give you an example of what I call bias:
all americans love McDonalds and Coke,they all have a gun under their pillow and love to go to war,and all they think of is money;-)

No, but if you'd rather be a blond blue-eyed swiss cheesemaker who loves the smell of sheep methane when out strolling in the hills to yoddle, than be a McDonalds and Coke-loving american, having a gun under your pillow loving to go to war and obsessing with money, then this is an example of bias.

and perhaps an example of a few stereotypes.

 

[Amused]

There is also rational bias, and irrational bias.

Bias is also defined as a belief that is set, and not open to changing when given information proving one's beliefs to be false.

Irrational bias: I hate all (insert race here) because one robbed me once.

Rational bias: I buy brand A because the consumer ratings are high and I fancy the way it looks/feels/performs.

Irrational bias: Your son has been kicked out of five schools, shoots up drugs, and get five cheerleaders pregnant and you think, "none of this was his fault, everyone is out to get him... my son is an angel"

 

[skace]

I think being Biased is a bad thing because it causes people to become set in their ways. They refuse to look at the other side of the fence because they automatically think their side of the fence is better. With bias comes loyalty. Whenever I argue something, I try my best not to argue my side with any sort of bias. Meaning that if someone brings up something with substantial proof, they can win my argument. You can't win an argument with someone who is biased, they won't let you.

I guess a better explanation of a bias is the difference between arguing to learn and arguing to win. You will never learn anything new with a bias, but you may win an argument through sheer determination.

Therefor I have more fun discussing things with people that are able to throw their biases away and discuss both sides in the same argument, much more interesting.

 

[gopunk]

amusedone is right.

if you are biased, it means that you're probably not the best guy to make a decision. it can also explain why somebody is really really adamant in one of their beliefs.

 

[PlatinumGold]

sometimes bias can also be called LOYALTY.

is loyalty a bad word also?

 

[gopunk]

<< sometimes bias can also be called LOYALTY.
is loyalty a bad word also? >>



no, but if you're on the other side, or just disagree, you'll want to call it "bias"

 

[Amused]

<< sometimes bias can also be called LOYALTY.

is loyalty a bad word also? >>



No, Bias is most commonly defined as an irrational, or unchangable loyalty.

Example: So what if my buddy is an axe murderer, I'll defend him to the end. Or worse yet, denying the obvious proof that your friend is an axe murderer, and defending him when all the evidence obviously points to him.

 

[Random Variable]

People who blame both the Israelis and Palestinians equally, claiming that they are both murderers, are not unbiased as some people seem to believe. To be unbiased on this issue would mean to not blame the two parties (nor anyone else for that matter).

 

[skace]

After writing a very long paragraph about whether loyalty is also a bad word, I came to the realization that neither bias nor loyalty are bad words on their own. Bias and loyalty can both be good, but what makes them bad is their use by a close-minded individual. Someone who is biased but has never tried the other side of their bias or someone who is loyal without question.

So in contrast to my original post, it is not a bias that I hate, but close-minded individuals.



Definitions used for relationships of the terms in paragraph I erased, left in for the hell of it:
Bias: A leaning of the mind; propensity or preposession toward an object or view, not leaving the mind indifferent; bent; inclination.
Loyal: Faithful to a person, ideal, custom, cause, or duty. See synonyms at faithful.

 

[Miramonti]

I'm biased to the Webster Dictionary, but not prejudice against the Oxford dictionary, however I'm loyal to the version I began using early in school.

Bias
a : BENT, TENDENCY b : an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially : a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment : PREJUDICE c : an instance of such prejudice d

Prejudice
1 : injury or damage resulting from some judgment or action of another in disregard of one's rights; especially : detriment to one's legal rights or claims
2 a (1) : preconceived judgment or opinion (2) : an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge b : an instance of such judgment or opinion c : an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics

Loyalty
1 : unswerving in allegiance: as a : faithful in allegiance to one's lawful sovereign or government b : faithful to a private person to whom fidelity is due c : faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product


So Bias is what you are after the facts, Prejudice is what you are before the facts and Loyal is what you are regardless of the facts.