Not every bias is an obvious one. In fact, all of us have inherent, unconscious biases that affect the way we view and interact with others.

These biases, such as the “horn/halo effect,” where a person’s entire character is fleshed out in our minds as either good or “bad” based on a singular event, are difficult to identify. However, that identification has to take place for true conversations about implicit bias and the growth they can engender to occur.

On this episode of FranklinCovey Education’s Realiteen Talks, the first in a three-part series on unconscious bias, host and High School Practice Leader Gary McGuey was joined by a panel of teenage guests to discuss how we can go about identifying the unconscious biases in our lives.

The word “bias” can come across as inherently negative, but that’s not always the case. As one panelist said, a bias doesn’t have to be destructive to be a bias. In fact, they can have positive outcomes, as well.

Biases can also be viewed as “shortcuts” that make our brain connect things that aren’t necessarily related. For example, a person wearing athletic gear supporting a particular team could be seen as inhabiting traits someone has come to associate with that group of fans when, in reality, they are their own, complex person.

To begin identifying your own biases, you have to first accept that you have biases in the first place. From there, you need to actively consider how your past experiences, preconceived notions and more are affecting the way you act in unrelated situations, then work to ensure you aren’t living in an “echo chamber” that doesn’t challenge your biases.