--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Author compares the impact of biases to…" description: "\"“Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as an average swimmer who overcame a considerable fear of water. While the swimming was easy in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_author-compares-the-impact-of-biases-to_1782562.jpg" --- # Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as… ![“Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as an average swimmer who overcame a considerable fear of water. While the swimming was easy in one particular experience, he was internally congratulating himself on his acquired skill. But when he realized he was swimming with a current he…” quote by Shankar Vedantam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_author-compares-the-impact-of-biases-to_1782562.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_author-compares-the-impact-of-biases-to_1782562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2b/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_author-compares-the-impact-of-biases-to_1782562.jpg) > ““Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as an average swimmer who overcame a considerable fear of water. While the swimming was easy in one particular experience, he was internally congratulating himself on his acquired skill. But when he realized he was swimming with a current he would now have to fight against, he realized just how definite his limits were.”” [Shankar Vedantam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-vedantam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biases mask our limits until circumstances change, revealing true capabilities **In simple terms:** Biases hide limits until challenged Key Takeaway Recognize and test hidden biases Themes self-awareness growth resilience Mood thoughtful analytical Type psychological educational When to use this quote - personal development - team dynamics - learning new skills Key Concepts cognitive bias self-efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What biases might you be unaware of? - How can you safely test your limits? A Different Perspective Biases may be entrenched, requiring deliberate effort to uncover ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average Swimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-swimmer-1874390/) [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Biases Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biases-experience-1874387/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Impact Biases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact-biases-1874389/) [Self righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-righteousness/) [Subconscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subconscious/) [Swimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimmer/) [Swimmer Overcame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swimmer-overcame-1874388/) ## Related quotes > [Some people like to focus on other aspects of my life, but first and foremost I am a dedicated and top swimmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-beard/some-people-like-to-focus-on-other-aspects-of-my-life-but-first-and/) [Amanda Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-beard/) > [I'm not as good a swimmer as I used to be - thanks to evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-m-not-as-good-a-swimmer-as-i-used-to-be-thanks-to-evolution/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [I'm not a natural ocean person. I married into a family of swimmers, and I've slowly been drawn into the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-m-not-a-natural-ocean-person-i-married-into-a-family-of-swimmers/) [Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/) > [I always had really long swimmer's arms. The last to totally go is always my thighs and butt, but my old body is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstie-alley/i-always-had-really-long-swimmer-s-arms-the-last-to-totally-go-is/) [Kirstie Alley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstie-alley/) > [You can't put a limit anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/you-can-t-put-a-limit-anything/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [In the early years of the Roaring Twenties, American women not only won the right to vote but they also earned headlines along side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-de-varona/in-the-early-years-of-the-roaring-twenties-american-women-not-only/) [Donna de Varona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-de-varona/) > [She could give herself up to the written word as naturally as a good dancer to music or a fine swimmer to water. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/she-could-give-herself-up-to-the-written-word-as-naturally-as-a-good/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [I am not a trained swimmer nor I know how to drive a vehicle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-tamboli/i-am-not-a-trained-swimmer-nor-i-know-how-to-drive-a-vehicle/) [Nikki Tamboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-tamboli/) > [Ive been a swimmer and a diver for quite a while. It was something that I think I got too comfortable with, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-burns/ive-been-a-swimmer-and-a-diver-for-quite-a-while-it-was-something/) [Brooke Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-burns/) > [I can freestyle for a while, but I'm not an Olympic swimmer who can go two or three miles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rulon-gardner/i-can-freestyle-for-a-while-but-i-m-not-an-olympic-swimmer-who-can-go/) [Rulon Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rulon-gardner/) > [The newspapers loved pinup pictures of pretty young swimmers, and as a national champion, I got more than my share of space in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-williams/the-newspapers-loved-pinup-pictures-of-pretty-young-swimmers-and-as-a/) [Esther Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-williams/) > [Oh, I can't play soccer, and I'm not a great swimmer. I won't drown, but you won't see me doing laps in a pool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/oh-i-can-t-play-soccer-and-i-m-not-a-great-swimmer-i-won-t-drown-but/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Adam Peaty is far and away the best swimmer in the world, and he's British. He set a world record - but the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-skelton/adam-peaty-is-far-and-away-the-best-swimmer-in-the-world-and-he-s/) [Helen Skelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-skelton/) > [If one synchronised swimmer drowns, do all the rest have to drown too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/if-one-synchronised-swimmer-drowns-do-all-the-rest-have-to-drown-too/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [The Buddha described his teaching as "going against the stream." The unflinching light of mindful awareness reveals the extent to which we are tossed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-batchelor/the-buddha-described-his-teaching-as-going-against-the-stream-the/) [Stephen Batchelor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-batchelor/) ## More by Shankar Vedantam > [“Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same manner as that undercurrent that took me out so far that day. When undercurrents aid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-vedantam/unconscious-bias-influences-our-lives-in-exactly-the-same-manner-as/) [Shankar Vedantam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-vedantam/) > [“Good people are not those who lack flaws, the brave are not those who feel no fear, and the generous are not those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-vedantam/good-people-are-not-those-who-lack-flaws-the-brave-are-not-those-who/) [Shankar Vedantam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-vedantam/) > [“some students look at the problems that they're facing and they draw global conclusions from them. They say this is not just a professor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-vedantam/some-students-look-at-the-problems-that-they-re-facing-and-they-draw/) [Shankar Vedantam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-vedantam/) [Explore all 4 Shankar Vedantam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shankar-vedantam/) ## More Bias quotes > [The print is devised so that I can cut the dresses on the bias, so they work around the body. It's not like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-galliano/the-print-is-devised-so-that-i-can-cut-the-dresses-on-the-bias-so/) [John Galliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-galliano/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > ["Natural" is a very dangerous word to use about sexuality ... Our society's notions of normality are completely fake and meta-trendy, since they rely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-bright/natural-is-a-very-dangerous-word-to-use-about-sexuality-our-society-s/) [Susie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-bright/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-haydon/fortunately-for-serious-minds-a-bias-recognized-is-a-bias-sterilized/) [Benjamin Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-haydon/) > [I can say this very clearly: I have come into this Congress with an antiwar bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-frankel/i-can-say-this-very-clearly-i-have-come-into-this-congress-with-an/) [Lois Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-frankel/) > [The legal bias for special protection for women has begun to wreak havoc with the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/the-legal-bias-for-special-protection-for-women-has-begun-to-wreak/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [That's awesome. There's no bias in the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-edwards/that-s-awesome-there-s-no-bias-in-the-media/) [Carl Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-edwards/) > [“The most disgusting human trait is bias, because it typically leads to propaganda, hate and violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lifsey/the-most-disgusting-human-trait-is-bias-because-it-typically-leads-to/) [Lori Lifsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lifsey/) > [I'm speaking out against social media bias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-loomer/i-m-speaking-out-against-social-media-bias/) [Laura Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-loomer/) > [“I pick up a copy of Newsweek on the plane and immediately notice how biased, slanted, and opinionated all the U.S. newsmagazine articles are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-pick-up-a-copy-of-newsweek-on-the-plane-and-immediately-notice-how/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“Hundreds of studies confirm that human forecasts are flawed and biased. Human decision making is not so great either. Again to take just one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/hundreds-of-studies-confirm-that-human-forecasts-are-flawed-and/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [“Many journalists now are no more than channelers and echoers of what George Orwell called the 'official truth'. They simply cipher and transmit lies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/many-journalists-now-are-no-more-than-channelers-and-echoers-of-what/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The stance I took was there is no room for racial bias anywhere in sports. I believe that was basically all I said about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-larkin/the-stance-i-took-was-there-is-no-room-for-racial-bias-anywhere-in/) [Barry Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-larkin/) > [First and foremost, if you want to be a good writer, you need to be a good eater. You need to be fearless when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leong/first-and-foremost-if-you-want-to-be-a-good-writer-you-need-to-be-a/) [Melissa Leong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leong/) [Browse all 667 Bias quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as an average swimmer who overcame a considerable fear of water. While the swimming was easy in one particular experience, he was internally congratulating himself on his acquired skill. 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