The Self-Interested Case for Examining Your Biases | John Biewen
Dan Harris interviews John Biewen, host of Scene on Radio, about his deep dives into the history of whiteness and sexism. They discuss how examining personal and systemic biases, aided by meditation, can be a rewarding and transformative process for individuals and society.
Deep Dive Analysis
16 Topic Outline
Introduction to John Biewen and 'Scene on Radio'
The Core Idea of 'Seeing White' Series
Race as a Human Invention, Not Biological Fact
Economic Motivations Behind the Invention of Race
Distinguishing Systemic and Interpersonal Racism
Historical Laws and Policies of Systemic Racism
Personal Impact of Exploring Whiteness
Two Levels of Anti-Racism Work
Examples of Systemic Anti-Racism Actions
Meditation's Role in Examining Personal Biases
Overcoming Defensiveness and Impersonalizing Thoughts
Self-Interest and Benefits of Anti-Bias Work
Critiques and Nuances of 'White Supremacy' Terminology
Origins and Historical Shift to Patriarchy
Personal Impact of Exploring Sexism
The 'Good-ish' Framework for Self-Improvement
8 Key Concepts
Race as a Social Construct
Race is not a biological reality but a human invention, primarily by Europeans 400-600 years ago, to classify and hierarchize people. This classification was developed over centuries and lacks scientific agreement on the number of races.
Invention of Black People
The concept of 'black people' was invented by Europeans in the 1400s-1500s to justify the Atlantic slave trade. This classification served to deem African people as an inferior, distinct group, thereby rationalizing brutal chattel slavery and economic exploitation.
Systemic Racism
This refers to racism embedded in the laws, policies, and practices of society that tangibly advantage white people and disadvantage black people and other people of color. It is distinct from, and often considered more fundamental than, individual attitudes or prejudices.
Cause and Effect of Racism (Kendi's View)
Historian Ibram X. Kendi argues that the cause and effect of racism are often reversed; policies and practices that advantaged white people and disadvantaged people of color were established first, and racist attitudes then grew out of these systems to justify them.
Anti-Racist (Kendi's Definition)
To be anti-racist means actively working to dismantle and change systemic structures that perpetuate racism. According to Kendi, if one is not actively part of the solution, they are effectively complicit in the problem.
White Supremacy (Broader Definition)
Beyond the overt bigotry of groups like the KKK, this term, in a broader sense, describes entire societal systems (economic, political, social) that are structured to advantage white people and disadvantage black people and other people of color, making it a pervasive and often ordinary aspect of society.
Patriarchy's Historical Origins
Male dominance, or patriarchy, is not inherent to human society but emerged around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. This shift coincided with humans settling down from nomadic hunter-gatherer groups into more complex agrarian societies, where men began to systematize their supremacy.
Good-ish (Dolly Chug's Concept)
This concept suggests that instead of striving for an unattainable 'good' in addressing biases, aiming for 'good-ish' allows for room to grow and acknowledge imperfections. It encourages an open, non-defensive approach to self-improvement and recognizing one's own biases.
9 Questions Answered
No, race is not biologically true; it is a human invention, constructed by people now identified as white, primarily over the last 400-600 years, to classify and hierarchize people.
The concept of race, particularly the idea of 'black people,' was invented by Europeans in the 1400s-1500s primarily to justify the Atlantic slave trade and the brutal economic exploitation of African people.
Interpersonal racism refers to individual attitudes, biases, and prejudices, whereas systemic racism is baked into the laws, policies, and structures of society, creating tangible advantages for white people and disadvantages for people of color.
According to historian Ibram X. Kendi, systemic policies and practices that advantaged white people and disadvantaged black people came first, and racist attitudes then grew out of these systems to justify them, making systemic racism more fundamental.
Being anti-racist means actively working to dismantle and change the systemic structures that perpetuate racism. If one is not actively contributing to the solution, they are considered complicit in the problem.
Meditation helps one sit with discomfort, examine self-narratives and aspects of identity without reflexive reaction, and observe thoughts without taking them personally, allowing for a non-reactive response to uncomfortable truths.
Benefits include becoming a better person, living with truth, feeling more content, and contributing to a more fair and just society. Understanding one's own mind and not being controlled by biases can lead to greater happiness and better relationships.
Patriarchy is not inherent to human society but began about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, coinciding with humans settling down from nomadic hunter-gatherer groups into more complex agrarian societies, where men then systematized their supremacy.
Dolly Chug's 'good-ish' concept suggests that instead of striving to be perfectly 'good,' acknowledging one's 'good-ish' nature allows for room to grow, reduces defensiveness, and encourages continuous self-improvement in addressing biases.
30 Actionable Insights
1. Examine Personal Prejudices
Take a good, hard look at your own prejudices and conditioning, as this exploration can be deeply enjoyable, interesting, and profoundly rewarding.
2. Utilize Meditation for Self-Work
Engage in meditation practice to help with humbling work like examining biases and prejudices, as it can provide support during challenging self-exploration.
3. Practice Letting Go and Discomfort
Apply principles of meditation like letting go and sitting with discomfort to examine deeply held narratives about yourself and aspects of your identity when confronted with challenging truths.
4. Acknowledge and Release Reactions
When you notice yourself reacting to something, acknowledge the reaction, but understand that you don’t need to act on it; instead, take a breath and let it go.
5. Depersonalize Biased Thoughts
Deflate defensiveness by recognizing that biased thoughts are natural cognitive shortcuts, not personal failings; don’t take them personally, and don’t act on them or use them to define yourself as ‘rotten’.
6. Separate Self from Systemic Truths
When confronted with truths about systemic issues (e.g., whiteness as a force of injustice), understand that these statements are about historical concepts and systems, not a personal indictment, and therefore, don’t take them personally.
7. Acknowledge Systemic Truth Without Guilt
Acknowledge the truth of systemic issues without feeling personal guilt for being born into the system, as recognizing these truths is not a personal attack.
8. Observe and Release Biased Patterns
Actively learn to observe your own biased thinking patterns so you can consciously let them go and choose not to act on them.
9. Embrace “Good-ish” Mindset
Adopt a ‘good-ish’ mindset instead of striving for perfect goodness, as this allows for continuous growth and acknowledges that you are genuinely trying to be better.
10. Motivate Self with Goodness
Engage in the difficult work of examining biases and systemic issues, motivated by a desire to be a better person and not contribute to societal injustices.
11. Seek Truth for Contentment
Pursue truth in understanding societal issues and personal biases, as living with and acknowledging truth can lead to greater personal contentment.
12. Examine All Biases for Freedom
Look at all forms of bias (sexism, ageism, power dynamics, etc.) to understand your mind’s sorting mechanisms, as seeing these biases prevents you from being held hostage by them and can be a source of pleasure.
13. Release Dogmatism for Happiness
Avoid dogmatism and the need to defend every thought; by being less rigid with your beliefs and tribal identities, you will get along better with people and experience greater happiness.
14. Prioritize Systemic Racism Analysis
When addressing racism, prioritize understanding and addressing systemic structures and policies that create inequality, rather than solely focusing on individual attitudes or prejudices.
15. Understand Race’s Invented Nature
Learn that race is a human invention, motivated by economic exploitation, to fundamentally alter your understanding of how race operates today.
16. Examine Whiteness as a Construct
When discussing race, shift the focus from solely reporting on people of color to examining the concept of ‘whiteness’ itself and its historical origins, as race and racism were invented by those defined as white.
17. Become Actively Anti-Racist
Recognize that if you are not actively working to dismantle and change systemic racist systems, you are complicit; therefore, strive to be anti-racist by putting your shoulder to the wheel.
18. Prioritize Education Before Action
Take time to educate yourself thoroughly on racism and its complexities before rushing into activism, as acting without sufficient understanding may inadvertently cause harm.
19. Educate Yourself on Racism
When you feel the need to learn more about racism, actively seek out educational resources like relevant podcasts and books to deepen your understanding.
20. Engage Diverse Ideological Views
Actively listen to podcasts, read, and follow people from across the ideological spectrum to challenge your own tribal biases and gain a more complicated, nuanced understanding of issues like racism and sexism.
21. Redefine Challenging Terms
When encountering terms like ‘white supremacy’ that may trigger strong reactions, engage with the educational process (e.g., listening to a comprehensive podcast series) to understand their broader, more pervasive meaning beyond common interpretations.
22. Investigate Patriarchy’s Historical Origins
To understand sexism, investigate the historical origins of patriarchal structures, questioning when and how the idea of men being in charge became widespread.
23. Continuously Observe Gender Bias
Recognize that you are not free of gender bias; continuously observe how patriarchal patterns function in society and within yourself, using educational resources (like the ‘Men’ podcast) to deepen your understanding and practice.
24. Mindfully Release Gender Bias
Cultivate mindful awareness to repeatedly observe biased thoughts or expectations related to gender in your mind, then choose to let them go and not act on them, recognizing them as untrue.
25. Work for a Just Society
Contribute to building a more fair and just society, recognizing that everyone, including those who currently benefit from existing systems, ultimately has something to gain from such a transformation.
26. Vote for Anti-Racist Policies
Vote for political candidates who advocate for policies that address historical injustices and systemic inequalities, such as reparations or other measures to close the wealth gap.
27. Support Local Anti-Racism Efforts
Identify and contribute to local community efforts aimed at changing institutions like schools or the criminal justice system to make them less systemically racist.
28. Be a Workplace Accomplice
Act as an accomplice to colleagues of color by supporting them when they discuss discomfort or racism in the workplace, rather than being disengaged or resentful during diversity meetings.
29. Listen to “Scene on Radio”
Check out John Bewin’s ‘Scene on Radio’ podcast, specifically seasons two (‘Seeing White’) and three (‘Men’), for deep dives into white people/whiteness and sexism, respectively, as they can have a big impact.
30. Attend Contemplative Care Summit
Consider attending contemplative care summits, such as the ‘Love and Resilience’ event, to learn about relationship dynamics and contemplative care practices.
8 Key Quotes
If I am not actually helping to put my shoulder to the wheel to dismantle those systems and change them, then I'm complicit.
John Biewen
You're either anti-racist or you're effectively racist. Because if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
John Biewen
I don't want to be a monster and I don't want my children to be monsters.
John Biewen
There's a lot of talk about letting go. There's a lot of talk about willing to sit with discomfort with hearing something. We're also with kind of being able to sit and examine our narratives about ourselves and our aspects of our identity that we may be really tied closely to that we haven't really examined.
John Biewen
I didn't order up these racist thoughts. And so I not only don't need to act on them, but I also don't need to tell myself a whole story about how I'm irretrievably rotten.
Dan Harris
I think most of us are happier if we aren't just gripping our beliefs about what's true or our, as you say, our tribal identity or I belong to this political party or this political ideology.
John Biewen
Good-ish, she says, that allows for room to grow.
Dan Harris
It's not about you personally, that tweet. If you feel like it's not about you, then it's not about you. Take a breath and move on.
John Biewen