Is it technically impossible to be unbiased?

[Prince of China]

I was at another forum and there was this game called This or That where you say two objects and someone picks the better out of the two.
I asked, " Being Unbiased, or biased". Somebody said it was technically impossible to be unbiased. I thought to be unbiased was to have no devotion to a cause especially in debates.
What the hell.

 

[Foxtrot]

Everyone is biased...there is no way to not be biased...

 

[HatRabit]

yeah, but everybody always has an opinion even if they don’t talk about it or admit what it is. so everyone is biased one way or another :rolling:

 

[Prince of China]

But what if it was a debate like Bush vs Kerry? I am Canadian so I don't care either way, but I decide to join in on the debate.
I are confused.

 

[CrazyHarij]

Of course you can be unbiased. But then again, if you're unbiased you're biased about being unbiased.

Creepy :O

 

[Prince of China]

.

 

[Foxtrot]

But what if it was a debate like Bush vs Kerry? I am Canadian so I don't care either way, but I decide to join in on the debate.
I are confused.

You still will have an opinion on the subject, unless you know nothing about either person and have heard nothing about them, then you would be unbiased.

 

[Dedalus]

it's not a question of being biased or unbiased, black or white, right or wrong...

you can be staunchly biased, passivley biased, respectfully biased etc.

did your friend on the message board give any justification? or was it just another 14 year old? from the sounds of it, someone who will proclaim an unbiased person is impossible to find, is someone with a closed mind. look up the meaning of the word bias, and it's easier to see that not everyone can be pigeon-holed into one bracket or another. people transcend the barriers you put up when they feel like it.

 

[The Mullinator]

The only thing that can be unbiased is a machine, a human will always be biased with everything that they do.

 

[Bad^Hat]

I try to stay as neutral and unbiased as I can, but I'm by no means a tolerant person and many things get me pretty riled. So while I'm aware of the fact that I'm biased on certain issues, I do try to keep an open mind.

But I'm definitely biased against people being overly biased Just the way I am.

 

[ailevation]

Of you could write an article that's unbiased. Just take opinions on two or more sides, explaining what they had/have to say. You don't put any of your thoughts in, BAM!

 

[Adidajs]

even if you're canadian, you're biased. most canadians apparently biased against Bush.

 

[nw909]

I'm unbiased to this thread

 

[Dalamari]

I like cake.

 

[dkelly]

even if you're canadian, you're biased. most canadians apparently biased against Bush.

I'd like to think that most americans are too, but I could be totally out of line. We'll see when the election results are in.

Back on topic.
The only way to be totally unbiased, is to be totally ignorant.

 

[CyberSh33p]

I'd like to think that most americans are too, but I could be totally out of line. We'll see when the election results are in.

Back on topic.
The only way to be totally unbiased, is to be totally ignorant.

thats a bias against being informed then

 

[blahblahblah]

The only way to be totally unbiased, is to be totally ignorant.

No, that means you are really biased.

I think you mean apathetic. If a person doesn't care about a particular subject, they can't be bothered to form a biased opinion. However, a truely apathetic person doesn't exist.

 

[Prince of China]

My brains hurt, all of them.

 

[dkelly]

No, that means you are really biased.

I think you mean apathetic. If a person doesn't care about a particular subject, they can't be bothered to form a biased opinion. However, a truely apathetic person doesn't exist.

No, I meant ignorant.
To be ignorant about something means to know nothing about it. How could you be biased to something you knew absolutely nothing about?
You could even say that.. ignorance is.. bliss?

 

[Just Smurfen]

go the random number generator!

 

[bgesley426]

Technically speaking yes you can be unbiased. Realistically? no.

However if we look at the thought patterns of a sociopath we can understand that yes theoretically they can be unbiased. The thing about sociopaths is that they don't have the same reaction to words as another person. If I were to say the words

birthday
dinner
picnic
incest
rape
murder

A normal person's brainwaves will change but in a sociopaths mind they feel the same way about incest as they do about dinner or a birthday. Which means that if their brain patterns remain unchanged on multiple subjects than it stands to reason that they are unbiased to each subject.

 

[el Chi]

But what if it was a debate like Bush vs Kerry? I am Canadian so I don't care either way, but I decide to join in on the debate.
I are confused.

Hmmm... I always thought you were Scandanavian.

What dkelly was mentioning (the only way not to be biased is to be ignorant) is a genuine philosophical argument by which one can create a fair society. I forget who posited the theory first (my notes are in my house at university) but it may have been Rawls?
Anyway, it's called his First Principle. To make fair decisions, one has to adopt what he called the "Veil of Ignorance." This means that, if we had no ideas of what social class/wealth bracket we were in, no ideas of what countries/political systems we lived in, no ideas of what skin colour/race we were, etc. From behind this veil, we make decisions on politics/how to distribute and structure society. It would lead to a fairer system, claimed Rawls, because:
- No-one would want to make a decision that could potentially be harmful to themselves.
- No-one would have any idea of what would be harmful/beneficial to them over any other choice.
- Therefore people would err on the side of caution and decide upon a structure that benefits all people.

It's extremely difficult to adopt such a position entirely - that's the main argument against him - but one can try. So to an extent people can shed their biases if they try, but it's not usually likely.

 

[JFry]

Very good points there el Chi, and I completely agree with the last paragraph. Inversely, I think omniscience would also apply. While both are essentially unobtainable for humans, gravitating towards one end of the spectrum certainly can affect the amount of bias one has. By this logic, your average joe is gonna be the most biased person possible.

 

[Andy]

I firmly beleive that there is no such thing as unbiased, because:
1. There is no such thing as perfect knowledge.
2. All information (including methodology for forming our own opinions) we gather comes from biased sources.
3. All things are eventually connected.

 

[kiwii]

what the crap is biased?

 

[KagePrototype]

what the crap is biased?

Definition:

1. [adj] excessively devoted to one faction
2. [adj] favoring one person or side over another; "a biased account of the trial"; "a decision that was partial to the defendant"

 

[kiwii]

Definition:

1. [adj] excessively devoted to one faction
2. [adj] favoring one person or side over another; "a biased account of the trial"; "a decision that was partial to the defendant"

hehe, sorry english is not my first language, thanks for the info .

 

[CyberSh33p]

hehe, sorry english is not my first language, thanks for the info .

www.dictionary.com for future reference