I had an immense advantage over many others dealing with the problem inasmuch as I had no fixed ideas derived from long-established practice to control and bias my mind, and did not suffer from the general belief that whatever is, is right.
All who consult on doubtful matters, should be void of hatred, friendship, anger, and pity.
I am a black male who grew up in the inner city of Atlanta and no one ever followed me in a mall. I don't recall any doors clicking when I crossed the street. And I never had anyone clutching their handbag when I got on an elevator. I guess having two awesome parents who taught me to be a respectful young man paid dividends.
I always hate to pre-judge people. I like to find out for myself.
I do not respect Trump supporters, but I believe in being fair to them.
You have to be open-minded, and you have to be critical, and you have to let go of your predispositions about what you've been told that doesn't have foundations in evidence.
I want to inspire people to really open up their minds and not be one-sided or biased or hypocritical.
As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth - hear both sides and believe neither.
My whole model, from the beginning, was not to personally publish a single document. I provided these documents to journalists because I didn't want my biases to decide what's in the public interest and what is not.
My advice for telling someone else's story is to try not to consciously bend the story in any particular direction - to listen with an open mind, to include the good with the bad, to attempt to quell one's biases and allow the person you're writing about to emerge as wholly as possible, warts and all.
It is important not to give the appearance of a predisposed mind. And it is more important not to let the mind become predisposed.
Pay less attention to what you hear about someone, and more to what you learn about them...as you make the effort.
I think it's so important in preschool and in kindergarten and elementary school that we're not biasing ourselves.
The first duty of an historian is to be on his guard against his own sympathies; but he cannot wholly escape their influence.
My politics would be, must be, have to be, completely separate from my judgment
Topical-sketch writing were incredibly rational and well reasoned: don't do a joke if the subject doesn't deserve it. An ad hominem attack on someone might get you a cheap laugh, but it doesn't earn you any long-term trust. The biggest rule was: you attack whoever's in power. Don't bring your personal bias to the table.
I don't really believe that people read just the stuff they agree with.
We don't get paid to cheer lead for Donald Trump. We're just paid to cover him.
Clean out your ears, don't listen for what you already know.
I'm not always up to date on everything that's going on, but I am somewhat informed. I listen to NPR. And I actually watch Fox News, because I believe, if you just listen to the things that agree with you, you're not really seeing anything else.
We [in Think Broader.] went through and looked at coverage in different industries and were able to point out to newsrooms that they had these hidden biases. We'd do a review and provide a report card, and provide our suggestion on how to avoid bias.
Believers are right when they say that to understand a religion properly you need to get under its skin. But to understand it fully, you cannot stay there: you have to take a more objective view, too.
Men on their side must force themselves for a while to lay their notions by and begin to familiarize themselves with facts.
1st Baron Verulam
I try to listen to all music with an open head, a clear head, try not to say just because I don't know it, it's weak.
The idea is to try to give all the information to help others to judge the value of your contribution; not just the information that leads to judgment in one particular direction or another.
