As much as I try to check my privileges and battle my biases I know they are there, influencing me in ways I’d sometimes rather they didn’t. I constantly remind myself to pause and think before acting or reacting, because there’s a good chance my instincts are based on childhood conditioning, rather than what my adult mind has decided is my opinion.

As humans we are TERRIBLE at really thinking things through, especially when we are rushed or encountering new people. Our brains make decisions before our minds have even registered that one is needed.

So I have decided that, as well as pausing to consider my reactions, I am also going to try to influence my own biases.

I am going to judge people on their curiosity.

I do not believe that curiosity killed the cat. Laying the blame at the door of curiosity removes the real responsibility for cat deaths from the accident, person, fall or poison that actually did the deed. But it is an effective way of teaching people to keep their minds to themselves…stay frightened…stay obediant.

If you are someone who can’t admit when they don’t know something, or who has to pretend that they do, then you are missing out. I get it, I understand. We are ridiculed and mocked for not already having knowledge that everyone else seems to have. But ponder this…how did they get it? They weren’t born with it.

The best people I know perk up when they hear a new name, their eyes light up when they get the chance to learn something new. They have Startpage and Duckduckgo saved because those search engines don’t track you and some of the things they look up are NOT for google’s consumption!

We are often judged for the company we keep, so those are the people that I want to be around. I shall seek them out.

Photo credits: http://backgroundposterpics.blogspot.com/2013/09/background-question-marks.html https://www.banklawyersblog.com/.a/6a00d8341c652b53ef01a73d76884a970d-popup https://thriveglobal.com/stories/always-be-curious/