[One Sip of a Book] Women Are Bad at Math? ... 'The End of Bias'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. Here, we excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from the book. - Editor's note

Everyday prejudices such as “OO also betrays people from behind,” “Vegetarians are picky,” and “Women are bad at math” do not remain mere personal stereotypes but threaten society. Jessica Nordell, an acclaimed “reflective and competent thinker” and America’s next-generation science journalist, reveals the violence of bias and clues to its resolution in this book. The author points out that humans’ instinctive biased thinking leads to prejudices and discrimination contrary to our beliefs, and seeks fundamental solutions to social conflicts occurring in almost every area including education, healthcare, labor, public safety, and religion. Drawing on independent research simulating the real impact of bias through computer models, as well as interdisciplinary studies spanning cognitive science and psychology, and a vast collection of case studies and interviews, the book presents ways to end biased thinking within us.

The place where one human meets another is also a kind of boundary. It is where bias reveals itself and where harm is likely to occur. But it is also a place that, if we intervene in bias, can be replaced by different ways of seeing, responding to, and relating to each other. Something new can grow in the fermenting process bubbling at that boundary. Insights, respect, and reciprocity?things that have eluded our grasp for too long. The risk is high and the resonance profound, but it is a solvable problem. From the “Introduction”

It was not the first time someone argued that people’s behavior can be influenced by stereotypes secretly occurring in hidden chambers of the mind. Lena Olive Smith, the first Black female lawyer in Minnesota, provided a precise analysis of this phenomenon nearly a century ago. According to her 1928 writing, “Some emotions lie deeply dormant and enslaved in a person’s unconscious, so much so that they may not even be aware of their existence. This is common sense. But with the right stimulus, they can come to the forefront. People often believe what they hear is the voice of justice, but they are deceived. In fact, it is prejudice that blinds them from seeing all justice and fairness.” From Chapter 1, “Tracing Biased Thinking Within Us”

In ancient times, skin color held values and meanings different from today, some of which we now fail to recognize. ... According to Hippocrates’ teachings, the cold and humid climate of Northern Europe bleaches the skin, generates moisture, and makes people lethargic. Conversely, the hot sun of Egypt and Ethiopia darkens the skin, dries bodily fluids, and greatly enhances the intelligence of Africans. This worldview is also found in some Roman scientific guides. Vitruvius, a Roman writer, architect, and engineer, wrote that “people of southern countries have high understanding and act wisely in assemblies.” The Roman writer Vegetius lamented, “We are not as wealthy as Africans, nor are we better than them in deception and strategy.” From Chapter 2, “The Instinct to Classify Us and Them”

The End of Bias | Written by Jessica Nordell | Translated by Kim Byunghwa | Woongjin Knowledge House | 500 pages | 22,800 KRW

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