How to Manage Emotional Bias

Emotional bias can affect us all, but learning how to manage it is important.  Emotional bias is defined "as having a bias when it comes to the emotions of oneself, when compared to the emotions of another."  Emotional bias is a frequent problem that leads to conflict on a regular basis.

When you have a bias with your emotions in regards to those of another person, this can cause some serious problems. Emotional bias can be a major killer of relationships, both personal and professional, and to overcome this challenge, you must learn how to manage it. While it is not possible to totally get rid of emotional bias, since we are all biased to some degree.  Learning how to reduce emotional bias can dramatically increase your emotional intelligence.

The first step towards handling emotional bias is to enhance your emotional awareness. The problem with many people is that they aren't truly aware of their emotions. They are even less aware of the effects these emotions have, both on themselves and others.

You must know the emotions you are feeling and why. You must be able to find a connection between your feelings, as well as the things you do. You must pay attention to the ways in which your emotions impact your performance, whether it is in school or on the job. You must also have an awareness of both your goals as well as your values. Once you are able to do this, it is also crucial to develop a solid self assessment.

Being able to accurately assess yourself means you must be aware of the weaknesses you have, as well as your strengths. You must learn to reflect on your life experiences, and learn from the experiences you have. You should also be open to the feedback that others give you. Learning is an experience that never ends, even after you have graduated from college.

You should always dedicate at least a portion of your life to self improvement and learning. Being able to develop a sense of humor is highly important, and can greatly contribute to properly managing your emotional bias. Another key fact that reduces emotional bias is self confidence.

Role of Self Confidence

Those who are self confident, at least to a healthy degree, tend to be individuals who are very self assured when it comes to their lives and their abilities. These people are typically described as being individuals who have a strong "presence." They typically have no problem sharing their thoughts on a certain view, even if this view is unpopular with the majority of people.

One of the most important aspects of being self confident is that a person who is confident is highly decisive. They know how to make decisions without having to go back and undue what they previously thought was right. However, if there is one key factor that you must emphasize in order to rid yourself of emotional bias, this is self control.

We all have emotional weaknesses, and we are all prone to behaviors which are destructive. Those who have a high level of emotional bias tend to be those who give in to destructive behaviors relatively quickly. They take little time to consider the effect that their negative actions will have before they take them, and only realize the effects of these actions "after" these effects have been showcased.

When you are under a lot of pressure or stress, it is easy to give in to behaviors that are destructive. This is why so many people are addicted to negative behaviors, such as drugs, too much alcohol, or excessive gambling. These people are unable to keep their emotional bias under control, and in the long run, it hurts them deeply.

Recognize the Emotions of Others

Always recognize the emotions of others and try to avoided being biased towards them.  If you are like many people, there has probably been a time when you witnessed the emotions of another person, and you thought negatively of them because of it.

If they were crying, you probably thought they were weak, and wondered what the big deal was. Or if they were angry, you probably thought they went overboard. Someone who thinks this way is a person who has a high emotional bias towards the feelings of others. They tend to hold the emotions of others against them, instead of using empathy to identify with the situation. To reduce your emotional bias, you must be more accepting and understanding of the emotions of others.