How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias | Valerie Alexander | TEDxPasadena

The human brain is a remarkable achievement in evolution. Unfortunately, the brain activity that kept the human species alive for millions of years is the same brain activity that keeps us from achieving equality today. Author, speaker and CEO, Valerie Alexander, explains how the human brain instinctively reacts when encountering the unexpected, like saber-toothed tigers or female tech execs, and proposes that if we have the courage to examine our own behavior when faced with the unfamiliar, we can take control of our expectations, and by doing so, change the world. Valerie Alexander is the Founder and CEO of Goalkeeper Media, maker of communication bots to amplify happiness, including the Happy Couples Bot. Valerie has extensive experience in corporate and start-up arenas, but left Silicon Valley to find success as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. Valerie wrote, produced and directed more than 50 shorts, commercials and PSAs, including the award-winning, anti-bullying short film, “Ballpark Bullies”, and the groundbreaking commercial, “Say I Do”, in support of marriage equality. As author of the Amazon #1 seller, “Happiness as a Second Language”, and a nationally known speaker on happiness in the workplace and the advancement of women, Valerie is a recognized expert on the topics. In addition to “Happiness as a Second Language”, Valerie’s books include “Success as a Second Language” and “How Women Can Succeed in the Workplace (Despite Having “Female Brains)”. She holds an honors certificate in the Science of Happiness from the Greater Good Science This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@napriaa5175]

She's an amazing speaker, true stories, statistics, confidence, genuine passion. Eqalism IS important and Everyone needs to be apart of it.

[@macdeep8523]

she is best in world for unconscious bias

[@ashleypeters5253]

I really like the reminder not to take on other people's jobs. I am definitely very guilty of feeling like I need to help everyone around me, and I never thought of that as something that might have been a product of unconscious biases in my own upbringing or in the people around me asking that of me. The more we are aware of those kinds of behaviors and thought patterns, the more easily we can combat them.

[@ryanneedham8820]

Don’t ever feel guilty about helping others.

[@Anxiou5Panda]

@@ryanneedham8820 In her example, there is a distinction. A line we should all view carefully. Yes, it is okay to help others if they definitely need it, like an old woman with eye sight problems crossing the street. However, if you continuously help someone that should be capable of doing something, then these are possible scenarios that I thought may happen, 1) that individual may become too dependent and end up lacking in skill, experience, wisdom, etc. 2) others might think that that individual is bad at his/her job and their expectations or treatment of said individual changes drastically 3) that individual might feel less because he/she will start thinking that you do not trust his/her capabilities.

[@charlottieeoppolo3232]

What a great presentation.I love how she quickly has the audience think about the images we perceive. Great job!

[@joycemuriithi8351]

This is a great webinar about unconscious bias. I just recently learned the terminology. I am a victim of someone wanting to help me out and correcting me so many times unnecessarily until I started thinking something was not right-I and did not think about it as biased. I have learned about my own unconscious bias today, and I will make an effort to work on it. How little thing can make such a difference in one's life-The? Unconscious bias is uncalled for.

[@JamieHumeCreative]

Ive experienced this too. 8 needed help, but not the hel0 she assumed I needed. It was immensly frustrating and demeaning. I felt very devalued and disrespected.

[@serenarobak3640]

Isn't the ability to include humor in a serious subject just wonderful?!

[@aliceallgrown]

Trying to get someone to examine their beliefs and behaviours is so difficult. Your talk is empathetic and invites people to examine themselves without being confrontational and I am really hoping sharing it with my certain someone might get them to examine themselves with more of an open mind.

[@number4cat1]

But of course, YOU don't need to examine YOUR beliefs. You've got a WOKE card.

[@aliceallgrown]

@@number4cat1 Are you so desperate for someone to talk to that you've decided to jump on a stranger for some offense you've made up in your head on baseless assumptions? There are better ways to start a discussion with someone if you're in need of social contact. Not all attention is good attention. Wouldn't you rather have a positive interaction with someone than start off on a negative?

[@number4cat1]

@@aliceallgrown It would appear from your comment you still think SOMEONE ELSE needs to examine themselves, and you are just the enlightened soul to "help" them. Please give my condolences to your "certain someone".

[@celibidache1000]

@@number4cat1 Nowhere in the comment is any information given as to whether she thinks she needs to examine her beliefs or not. Why did you assume that she thinks she doesn't need to examine her beliefs?

[@theseragilo]

I have shared this with friends, family and now my workplace. THIS is EXACTLY what EVERYONE should be reflecting on right now. Together, we can create a world of equality.

[@luv2charlie]

Yes, everything is firing in the amygdala and so many friends can't even conceive of the simple logic, they are so stuck in their confirmation biases and unconscious biases!

[@dr.2335]

Freedom over equity. This is a Trojan horse and you’re blind.

[@missodegard771]

Loved this so much! Great tools to help us truly examine our behaviors and unconscious biases. Great pre-/post- visualization exercises that reinforced we can change.

[@LittleRascal777]

Great TED Talk. Very enlightening and well done.

[@iamcoachmichaelmcbride]

Outstanding presentation. It makes you really examine one's thoughts and how we apply them in our everyday lives. Well done !✔

[@michellestarr3970]

Valerie, wow, thank you for that brain exercise. Now only, if we ALL can perform that every day unconsciously. Would be nice to have it shown regularly on all media to help engrain into our brains.

[@MichaelOConnorStyle]

This is the most amazing presentation. Everyone should watch this.

[@kelleyconsultingfirm9685]

Great comment !!!

[@dr.2335]

No. No they shouldn’t, everyone has the right to think as they please consciously. This is, to quote Shapiro- a ghost hunt for the ghost of a ghost. It’s a feel good bullshirt merry go round and it’s designed to breed actual racism, being as the demand is high and the supply very limited. You just watched a brainwashing seminar. Don’t get too excited.

[@Tall-Cool-Drink]

Why?

[@barbaraross3853]

Great talk. I love this kind of information. You delivered it perfectly. I hope you present more often.

[@kelleyconsultingfirm9685]

Great comment !!!

[@tenzintsomo6620]

I throughly enjoyed this while learning something! Two years later and still relatable!

[@susanneyoung1153]

GREAT PRESETATION!!!!!! You could of been on my dais back in the day if you had been born then of speakers like Paul Harvey, Art Linkletter, Zig Ziglar, Earl Nightingale, etc ….Your presentation was spot on. I have always been a bull in a china shop when it comes to how I'm perceived and I have always said to my hubby that a man could of said the same thing and it would be accepted....and he always agrees with me and has tried to caution me about coming across that way...but I never listened. Instead I was summarily dismissed from the job that had my heart and soul. But that was a God thing that I won't get into here. Needless to say I really enjoyed your presentation!!!!!!

[@jessicamaker8103]

Well done! Thoughtful, engaging, and honest.

[@TheMoneyKeys]

My husband suggested this talk -- well done!

[@kelleyconsultingfirm9685]

It was great !!!

[@lrdaly1101]

Was proud of self for first 3 questions, answered non judgmental!

[@nikitam.1716]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! THANK YOU

[@olgavolkova5820]

Wonderful talk! Thank you 🙏

[@larranag]

This is useful and helpful.

[@letsgetlit2829]

You misspelled useless

[@Livingtango]

An excellent talk, truly eye-opening and entertaining at the same time. So well done!

[@YolandaMAllen]

This video is definitely an eye opener.

[@alexma3996]

This was an amazing talk!

[@feliciajohnson3783]

Very well done...loved the opening exercise :)

[@Cliffhouse97]

The IAT does not meet commonly accepted standards of reliability and validity for a psychometric test. The creators know this, but apparently have no compunction to disclose it to the general public. It's become so commonly accepted that to question it now results in unfounded accusations of racism to shut people up. It's reprehensible.

[@KO-fq4gz]

Great talk! I can relate to this talk. I will definitely be sharing this video with my friends.

[@kelleyconsultingfirm9685]

Great comment !!!

[@hagengilbert8102]

Wow an attorney and a tech ceo?!?! You’re so amazing! You should tell everyone how to think and live and be cheeky and funny about it too!

[@virginianourie2513]

such a reminder, have seen this many times as I attended school staff meetings through m career

[@thesayerofing]

Enjoyable talk! Haha, I prefer to call it the lizard brain and tiger in the bush theory. Though it barely scratched the surface of the limbic system and cognitive bias, she kept it applicable. I would encourage anyone who found this interesting, to listen to a handful of related lectures.

[@burleybater]

So bias must be kept in check - out of fear of psycho-meddling, punishment, job loss, public shaming, harassment, etc ad nauseum. We are all bundles of billions of biases. Keeping a hateful or hurtful bias in check requires decency, moral and ethical stamina, and a healthy conscience. All these are quite possible to achieve without being politicized in any way.

[@kayluvsexy]

Always something to learn any time I watch this video.

[@Matt-kt9nm]

This talk was already a mess, but at 6:55 the word equality was censored because it undermines equity. Sad.

[@AntiMasonic93]

I agree the brain triggers certain responses about people. We call these images stereotypes.

[@killersushi99]

*When people start to want to control whats happening in your brain....Its time to get concerned.*

[@dr.2335]

killersushi99 she literally started off the brainwashing session with ‘close your eyes and take a deep breath’.

[@celibidache1000]

@@killersushi99 Are you afraid that your brain is at risk of being controlled by a simple visualisation excercise? Or are you just scared of changing opinion?

[@janekisiangani9158]

Well presented

[@RalphDratman]

This is interesting because it points out how difficult it can be to work across differences. To put that another way, physiological signals are ineradicable. Is it possible to make all this work identically for women and men? Maybe.

[@Jay-ue2ic]

She's awesome.

[@carlathomas2191]

This is so necessary and on point. Subordinate be straight tripping at times. Its exhausting to demand respect.

[@MegaRedrun]

great talk. i enjoyed is a lot

[@TylerBrown-up5jp]

A world having to worry about the use of ping me is not one I want to live in.

[@tamiadunola]

loved this

[@thespiritscribe9360]

What a wonderful, smart, wise and talented woman. Kudos!

[@russells.soehnerii8308]

I will enjoy Cicely Tyson, Shelby Steele, Thomas Sowell and John McWhorter.

[@chrissuk1684]

The Chinese blessing on a fortune cookie during a presentation about implicit biases... case in point LOL!

[@martinbrousseau2560]

Your bias makes men guilty before you even said the first word…

[@St.Calamity]

Unbias makes them fear.

[@sherallewis8122]

I think to overcome biasness one need to be more open to people and limit my mind in order to get clues about stereotypes, race, religion, and media. I should give people enough time to speak so I can figure out what my mind is missing about a particular group of people. By being open, I mean having healthy conversations with people, which should begin gradually depending on the situation and people involved. Allowing myself some time to reflect on these elements, where I am going wrong, and where I need to improve. Meanwhile, I'm updating my mental knowledge based on the authentic information I'm gaining through experiential learning.

[@ValorantRivals]

at 6m:16s.... I feel like he was scared of being politically incorrect, which was caused by all these made up social rules I can't keep up with. These rules are really confusing everyone. And I feel he was trying to be relaxed and social at first but then felt he disrespected you. That's what I see.

[@carolrosa5314]

this desperately needs more attention! so good

[@trade_iv]

Wrong

[@carolrosa5314]

why?

[@JamieHumeCreative]

I pictured the environment not the people. Thats my auto response. It has no bias in regards to the people.

[@alanapiana1970]

Same here.

[@breakthecycle16]

Amazing! Thank you, I want your knowledge!!

[@allysondoherty2908]

Interesting how she uses an example of women not treating women the same way they treat men while mimicking a subordinate woman in an unflattering way...

[@73sark]

My cognitive blind spot does not allow my mind to imagine myself in such a situation period...

[@blackerpanther3329]

No such thing as unconscious bias so I’m already winning

[@theseragilo]

A stellar watch and should be shared by all!

[@John-jh999]

Where's the equality in turning your own posterity in to hazardous medical waste? We definitely need to "examine our own behaviors."

[@erichschmidt8987]

Great talk, well delivered!

[@IntuneVitaDoctrina]

Great talk, thanks so much, a real eye opener and so true about Amygdala, it is scanning for differences and "danger" 24H, the smarter parts of the brain must control it :)

[@abisnail.]

"bro-haviour" is a GREAT word

[@greeneye5977]

Already had to do this “training” for work last year. It was a complete waste of time. No one gained anything from it, no one understood any of it, nothing really changed. I’ve been in some pointless trainings in my life but this one takes the crown. Far too many ridiculous scenarios and whole lot of “you really have to squint really hard to see it”. Anytime you tell people something is there but you can’t see it you know it’s a total scam.

[@ShineForlyn777]

Excellent!

[@John-jh999]

The Pilot would vary because we're all different and coming from different places, the married couple would also vary depending on your own lived experience etc.. , and the CEO again also will be influenced by personal experience. Basically all of your answers could have been yes and unconscious bias could still be on the table. Unconscious bias IS NOT a 1 way street ¿¿ Without saying it she's spoon feeding you the narrative, you thought of a White pilot, a man and a woman etc.. etc.. If not then I guess it isn't "unconscious bias" ¿¿ There's nothing wrong with visualizing your "norm." As she shared "your brain creates images of what's familiar." This varies depending on your surroundings and lived experience. Your "norm" isn't my norm etc.. etc.. it's perfectly fine to think of a man and a woman when you hear the word "couple." For example: If you hear the words "a cat walked across the street" it's perfectly fine if you didn't visualize a man who identifies as a cat, if you did then that's probably something you're familiar with etc.. etc.. Life goes on.

[@alanapiana1970]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@sayemaccess6794]

Thanks its an learning from this vedio

[@markrigg6623]

"Unconscious bias" is a tautology.

[@kathyfanning5714]

Excellent videos

[@rosariaanastasio8234]

Great! I enjoyed it a lot!

[@lindabenson2792]

She is a good speaker. This is an amazing!

[@aussiegypsy6273]

Idealism is a part of our perception & as individuals filled with flaws,

[@jeanclaudejonya1216]

A well-structured and constructive speech that one of us can use to avoid falling into the errors of prejudice of any kind.

[@Tall-Cool-Drink]

If I have "Unconscious Bias" that I can't control, I won't worry about it. Besides, it doesn't really matter what you're thinking. What matter most to other people is how you behave. Your actions matter. What you think privately in your mind doesn't matter.

[@celibidache1000]

Conscious thoughts that you are aware of, that you can consciously stop from affecting your actions, are harmless to others. The unconscious mind, on the other hand, controls actions, opinions, and behaviours without you knowing about it. Unconscious bias is a part of the unconscious mind. That's just how humans work. You too. A very mundane example of an unconscious opinion: A person has a very strong opinion on how to best load the dishwasher, and does NOT like when it is done "wrong" - it even makes them a bit angry. When confronted why, they simply answer "because that's just the correct way". All opinions are based on either conscious or unconscious thoughts, and this is a clear example of unconscious thoughts, since the person has no conscious reason for their strong opinion. If the person realises this they can probably trace this behaviour back to some memory, eg maybe their mother had this very opinion and told the person off when they did it "wrong". This created an unconscious opinion and behaviour that affected them and others. When unconscious behaviours are made conscious like this, they are quite easily changed or discarded. It's the same with unconscious bias. All people have it, and all people can make themselves aware of it. So, if it's important to you how you act towards others, it's also important for you to accept that you too have unconscious bias and that you can affect it. We all have to do it - for ourselves and for the people around us.

[@frankb.3556]

Excellent point.

[@alanapiana1970]

So true. A great bottom line that no one else has mentioned in the comments I've read so far. Thank you.

[@yazminlomeli]

She’s so funny and a great speaker

[@trade_iv]

No she’s not

[@brianbeaman4025]

How does “ping me” have anything to do with her being female?

[@Anxiou5Panda]

None. It's the guy that assumed it might be offensive to her, hence he asked.

[@babykang9028]

You told me to think of concepts, so I imagined people shaped blobs with the title of "pilot", "couple", "speaker" 😗 did i win? 😅 Just kidding, great presentation!

[@oscarjames3777]

What a great vid!

[@yoislam2]

We haven’t been around for millions of years .

[@gabriellaramirez5373]

I think that the unconscious bias that is often apparent in others is due to the societal norms that have been developing over the centuries.

[@St.Calamity]

Thank you this is what i needed to process Palestine-Isreal. 🙏

[@David-sw3on]

She was very amazing!.. excellent tools to help me in my continued fight to combat my truly unintentional shallow mindedness.😘(hhmm..and would I have used that emoji kiss symbol just now if it was a male speaker?🤔 See! I'm catching myself already lol👍😉)

[@patrickwrye8450]

It’s pretty easy to outsmart something that doesn’t exist like unconscious bias.

[@baochau5273]

Normalizing the unexpected is quite similar to Overton Window, I think

[@forrestdavis6745]

Great talk, but I feel uneasy with the lack of background neurological and psychological information. It's a lovely utopic view, but needs to be a two hour lecture, not twenty minutes.

[@agent5526]

Forrest Weimer it all sounds so simple to reprogram a 200,000 year old brain that hasn't undergone a major evolutionary step ... Yet society sure expects us to make a step - but is it natural and does it feel right?

[@patrickwrye8450]

Check out Jordan Peterson’s evisceration of unconscious bias... you know, an actual practicing psychologist. Diversity and Inclusion training is a billion dollar racket of an industry.

[@rbussph]

"The prefrontal cortex evolved itself into existence when we need more processing capacity"? That's unconscious bias, right?

[@phillipwilliams484]

Bravo!

[@LarryP248]

This is rich content. A similar book I read had an indelible influence on my life. "Game Theory and the Pursuit of Algorithmic Fairness" by Jack Frostwell

[@Matt-kt9nm]

Algorithmic "fairness".

[@marveloussoftware4914]

Good talk and many good points were made. Although it is biased. At no time was it mentioned how women will sometimes take advantage of thier position with a sly smile or turn of thier head. While it is true there may be more biases against women, to ignore the counterpart, how women take advantage, is not an honest position. If anyone really wants to fix things they must be honest. If anyone focuses solely on one aspect of a situation then they are merely trying to tilt the balance in thier direction and are not interested in righteousness.

[@natalialin730]

This is true but the majority of women who are serious about doing their job do not do that. To counteract that example though there are also men who use their positions to manipulate others or victimise women. Lots of public stories on the latter.

[@marveloussoftware4914]

@@natalialin730 I agree. There's good and bad everywhere. You can not say any group is pretty much anything without discounting the other part of that group which is not.

[@jenniferfidler2002]

AMAZING!!

[@Jcp379]

Except that the concept of unconscious bias has been disproven psychometrically. The retest reliability ratio for implicit bias perception tests is .5 which is nowhere close to be considered “reliable”. Which would be a score somewhere around .8 or .9 which is also why the concepts of microagressions and unconscious bias theory has never been used in a court of law for example. Many psychologists around the world denounce these ideas and Ted talks posts this video as if it’s based on empirical evidence just because the presenter referenced a few basic neuro functions you would learn in your freshman year of college. Now employers everywhere adopt this as a legitimate tool to reprogram their employees thoughts and behaviors. It’s sad and a waste of time and money.

[@ginjamutha]

In science we rarely say that something has been “proven” or “disproven” and psychometric tests and data that come from them have their flaws. It is always a question of both reliability and validity of the data that supports or not, a particular theory. Unconscious bias (much like other psychological concepts such as intelligence) cannot necessarily be reduced to psychometric properties. It assumes that such things exist as some kind of entity within the brain that can be identified and measured. You cannot guarantee with 100% certainty that the thing you use to measure “unconscious bias” or “intelligence” for example is measuring what is purports to measure. Might I suggest you read the Mismeasure of Man because Stephen J Gould picks apart this whole argument much more eloquently than I ever could. I would argue that you cannot say that unconscious bias has been definitively disproven nor proven but then that is the beauty of science.

[@celibidache1000]

Referring to visualisation excercises to help people widening their perspective as "reprogramming the brain", makes for a skewed and dishonest argument. Not very scientific, for such a scientifically inclined individual as yourself. Is having a discussion where one person changes their mind when given new information also a case of reprogramming the brain?

[@windtalkerslai4055]

@@celibidache1000 The general point still stands so there’s no need to chew on the words no? In addition OP is referring to the potential employers’ perception of the method instead of the method itself.

[@miss_xenia_]

7:22 ff write those down! 🤓🥰

[@melissagorogo1008]

My people were faceless actually coz I was busy with what I was doing 😑

[@mrbard1]

I feel like i should have watched this when i was a tween so i can start using this information eariler.

[@jazzminb]

As an executive assistant I can say for sure that woman bosses often will take on the task I could be doing because they can do it just as easily. So if the assistant asked the female attorney to do something she wouldn't ask the male boss - it could be because she's worked for female bosses who wanted to take on that responsibility because some woman feel bad about asking their assistants to do something they could easily do themselves. I made an effort to make sure my female bosses didn't take on my tasks unnecessarily. On the other hand male bosses are happy to have their EA do whatever they can PLUS personal assistant work like picking up dry cleaning etc. I've never seen a female boss ask their EA to pick up their laundry - men don't think twice about it.

[@buddhaneosiddhananda8499]

Let go... and let God... but you have to use discernment... peace be to you all...

[@moondust1992]

This is so important right now

[@nathanabela9656]

Bit creepy to call someone I don't know a soulmate, but I can confidently say demeanour/attitude/style/propensity in speech and intent, soulmate thinkers! Loved it, love your angle of approach. Of all speeches ive ever heard, probably about a million, and that's not an exaggeration, this would be in the top ten of most meaningful.

[@lisacassinari9947]

Love this!

[@TheMarvelWitch]

Okay, but I honestly forgot straight people exist during the visualization.......

[@aeches]

hAHA SAME also i fOUND YOU

[@TheMarvelWitch]

@@aeches Wait.........OMG I WAS WONDERING WHY YOU TEXTED ME THAT OMG

[@therealryan1329]

Can we just go back to not being obsessed with race and gender please It was so much more fun then

[@John-jh999]

You're mental image can be influenced by divisive worldviews

[@0nly1truth]

Would there ever be a female president of the United States wearing a Niqāb?

[@freedominhourspodcast]

How can someone use so many words and it be so pointless

[@frankiepoo3709]

Gud video! :) :)

[@brooksnuzum338]

Saber-toothed cats. Not tigers.

[@EricBentleyEB5minus2]

I don’t know what anyone else goes through, but I’m very male and I fall in to the same trap of having to do things myself because it’s easier than getting some subordinate to do what they’re supposed to

[@celibidache1000]

Well, she didn't say that doesn't happen. She gave a specific example from a specific setting - she didn't say it it's universal.