Personal experience is important, and none of us are unbiased—but it’s important for elected officials (and all of us, really), to seek to expand our own personal experience by listening to stories of others. It’s also important for all of us to think about our own biases and how those can influence how we react to others’ stories, or to data. I don’t want to go too far down the postmodern rabbit-hole here, but there’s some validity to the idea that there is no such thing as a fact without interpretation! That obliges all of us to be aware of the layers of interpretation going on around and within us.
Thanks for such a deeply thought-out response, Alice. While I understand that our personal experiences color and inform our opinions and thoughts, those who seek leadership roles should understand the heavy mantel that they have taken on. Being an elected representative is a huge responsibility.
Absolutely, Anna! Complete lack of bias is impossible, but one of the first steps in trying is becoming aware of our biases. Another core step is seeking out those with other views. If we do both of those we can start to control for our biases and use personal experiences—our own and others’—in productive ways. Elected officials need to do that, among other things. The way you call attention to how those personal experiences can work if not controlled is important.
Personal experience is important, and none of us are unbiased—but it’s important for elected officials (and all of us, really), to seek to expand our own personal experience by listening to stories of others. It’s also important for all of us to think about our own biases and how those can influence how we react to others’ stories, or to data. I don’t want to go too far down the postmodern rabbit-hole here, but there’s some validity to the idea that there is no such thing as a fact without interpretation! That obliges all of us to be aware of the layers of interpretation going on around and within us.
Thanks for such a deeply thought-out response, Alice. While I understand that our personal experiences color and inform our opinions and thoughts, those who seek leadership roles should understand the heavy mantel that they have taken on. Being an elected representative is a huge responsibility.
Absolutely, Anna! Complete lack of bias is impossible, but one of the first steps in trying is becoming aware of our biases. Another core step is seeking out those with other views. If we do both of those we can start to control for our biases and use personal experiences—our own and others’—in productive ways. Elected officials need to do that, among other things. The way you call attention to how those personal experiences can work if not controlled is important.