--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unconscious bias influences our lives in…" description: "\"“Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same manner as that undercurrent that took me out so far that day. When undercurrents aid us … we..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_unconscious-bias-influences-our-lives-in_748113.jpg" --- # Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same… ![“Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same manner as that undercurrent that took me out so far that day. When undercurrents aid us … we are invariably unconscious of them. We never credit the undercurrent for carrying us so swiftly; we credit ourselves, our talents, our skills. I…” quote by Shankar Vedantam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_unconscious-bias-influences-our-lives-in_748113.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_unconscious-bias-influences-our-lives-in_748113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/shankar-vedantam-73942_bias_unconscious-bias-influences-our-lives-in_748113.jpg) > ““Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same manner as that undercurrent that took me out so far that day. When undercurrents aid us … we are invariably unconscious of them. We never credit the undercurrent for carrying us so swiftly; we credit ourselves, our talents, our skills. I was completely sure that it was my swimming ability that was carrying me out so swiftly that day. It did not matter that I knew in my heart that I was a very average swimmer, it did not matter that I knew that I should have worn a life jacket and flippers. On the way out, the idea of humility never occurred to me. It was only at the moment I turned back, when I had to go against the current, that I even realized the current existed.”” 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. Unseen biases act like currents, propelling us unknowingly; we credit ourselves instead of recognizing these forces. **In simple terms:** Bias hidden, we misattribute success. Key Takeaway Recognize hidden influences. Themes bias humility self‑awareness Mood reflective thoughtful Type analytical educational When to use this quote - decision making - leadership - personal growth Key Concepts cognitive bias underlying forces self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - What currents shape your choices? - How can you detect hidden bias? A Different Perspective Self‑awareness is hard to achieve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) ## Related quotes > [Stupidity and unconscious bias often work more damage than venality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/stupidity-and-unconscious-bias-often-work-more-damage-than-venality/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There's an unconscious bias in our society: girls are wonderful; boys are terrible. And to be a boy, or young man, growing up, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/there-s-an-unconscious-bias-in-our-society-girls-are-wonderful-boys/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [There are still very few companies run by women these days. And, clearly, there are many reasons for that, including what many see as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-woodruff/there-are-still-very-few-companies-run-by-women-these-days-and/) [Judy Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-woodruff/) > [Those who politically theorise the artificial concept of 'whiteness' infer that anyone who has white skin cannot escape their unconscious bias. If you object,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-fox/those-who-politically-theorise-the-artificial-concept-of-whiteness/) [Claire Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-fox/) > [I suspect unconscious bias has been far more of a factor for President Obama than overt racism and will also be a challenge for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/i-suspect-unconscious-bias-has-been-far-more-of-a-factor-for/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [For people like me with a disability, the unconscious bias is a lack of expectation of what you can do, negative perception, and negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-alcott/for-people-like-me-with-a-disability-the-unconscious-bias-is-a-lack/) [Dylan Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-alcott/) > [In football, statistically, there's an under-representation from the BAME community in dugouts, boardrooms and coaching roles. The claim is that systemic racism and unconscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-jordan/in-football-statistically-there-s-an-under-representation-from-the/) [Simon Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-jordan/) > [“We are more likely to trust a person who is easier to read; they're easier to believe. Or we tend to think that an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/we-are-more-likely-to-trust-a-person-who-is-easier-to-read-they-re/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [We must all acknowledge our unconscious biases, and listen with less bias when women, and others who are marginalized, speak out. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-moss/we-must-all-acknowledge-our-unconscious-biases-and-listen-with-less/) [Tara Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-moss/) > [I think unconscious bias is one of the hardest things to get at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/i-think-unconscious-bias-is-one-of-the-hardest-things-to-get-at/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [I would say how important it is that we stop teaching kids, from the beginning, that boys are more important than girls. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/i-would-say-how-important-it-is-that-we-stop-teaching-kids-from-the/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/an-unconscious-people-an-indoctrinated-people-a-people-fed-only/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Behind the cameras, there's a different problem, which I think is not unconscious gender bias. It's probably categorized more as conscious gender bias. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/behind-the-cameras-there-s-a-different-problem-which-i-think-is-not/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [“Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as an average swimmer who overcame a considerable fear of water. While the swimming was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-vedantam/author-compares-the-impact-of-biases-to-his-experience-as-an-average/) Shankar Vedantam > [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/) ## More by 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 > [“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 > [“Author compares the impact of biases to his experience as an average swimmer who overcame a considerable fear of water. While the swimming was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shankar-vedantam/author-compares-the-impact-of-biases-to-his-experience-as-an-average/) Shankar Vedantam Explore all 4 Shankar Vedantam quotes ## 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": "“Unconscious bias influences our lives in exactly the same manner as that undercurrent that took me out so far that day. When undercurrents aid us … we are invariably unconscious of them. We never credit the undercurrent for carrying us so swiftly; we credit ourselves, our talents, our skills. I was completely sure that it was my swimming ability that was carrying me out so swiftly that day. It did not matter that I knew in my heart that I was a very average swimmer, it did not matter that I knew that I should have worn a life jacket and flippers. On the way out, the idea of humility never occurred to me. 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