3.7: Summary and Review
Summary
As we have examined throughout this chapter, we all come to relationships with a past, which shapes how we see the world. Through these unique lenses, we usually make swift and decisive assumptions about the intentions of others. We know that how we feel mentally, physically, and emotionally affects our ability to listen and make accurate judgments about others. The baggage of implicit bias we carry also makes it difficult to look at others with clear eyes.
As we have learned in this chapter, one prospective strategy towards decreasing our biases and errors is through perception checking. Another way forward lies within building compassion through perception. As we learn to recognize that others may have different perceptions than us, we might have more patience and tolerance for others. This ability to see our loved ones for who they are and where they are coming from, can help us build better connections with them as a result. In return, we are able to fulfill a primary psychological need for a sense of affectionate and loving connection to others (Maslow, 1943).
Discussion Questions
- After reading this chapter, you now know how quickly we make assumptions about people, the first time we see them. What factors do you believe are most prominent or influential for you, in terms of how you might categorize someone you have just met?
- Let’s say you see someone you have never met and immediately make the assumption that this person will not be kind. What strategies can you use to check on your perceptions, decrease bias, and move forward?
- Stereotypes are learned. What biases and stereotypes were common in your home, school, religious institution, or neighborhood?
- What steps can you take to break down your own stereotypes?