by Jim Stovall
Like many people of my generation, I grew up on a steady diet of 60 Minutes broadcasts every Sunday night. Whether you liked or didn’t like 60 Minutes, and regardless of whether you believed in their slant on a story, it was—and still is—hard not to watch.
For many years, 60 Minutes did three news magazine-type features followed by a brief commentary by Andy Rooney. Andy Rooney could be best described as an off-beat, out-of-date curmudgeon. This is exactly what made his commentary so poignant. No matter what the topic of his commentary, and regardless of your own personal experience, Andy Rooney could look at any issue from a totally unique perspective.
We lost Andy Rooney not too long ago, just a short time after he retired, having worked into his 90s. He had an amazing career that spanned from being a war correspondent during World War II through the formative stage and golden years of network TV, up to a point long past where most of his colleagues had retired.
Andy Rooney was fond of saying, “People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.”
It’s easy for me to believe that everyone else, including Andy Rooney, would come to an issue with a bias. What is hard for me to admit and grasp is the fact that I, also, have a bias in every situation.
My late, great mentor and friend Paul Harvey told me that the most honest he could be as a reporter was to admit his personal bias up front. We succeed in our personal and professional lives by making good decisions. We make good decisions by honestly evaluating the situation and our various alternatives. This honest evaluation is dependent upon our ability to set aside any bias we may have. In order to set aside our bias, we must admit we have one and clearly define it.
If you’re looking at a choice, a decision, a debate, or controversy, the easiest way to clarify and get rid of your own bias is to argue the other side and present the other position. This keeps your logic strong and gives you the benefit of an opposite perspective.
During the formative years of my company, the Narrative Television Network, I had the privilege of interviewing many classic film stars. Among these were Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. These two superstars were the best of friends who seemed to have virtually nothing in common. For years, they starred on Broadway playing the lead characters in Neil Simon’s production of The Odd Couple. Jack Lemmon played the persnickety, neurotic neat freak Felix Unger while Walter Matthau played the irascible slob Oscar Madison. Both of them told me, on separate occasions, that they brought strength, originality, and freshness to their roles because, once a week, they would switch parts, allowing Lemmon to play Oscar while Matthau played Felix.
The late, great favorite son of my home state, Oklahoma, Will Rogers, who was a Native American, was fond of saying, “Never judge a man unless you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” Mr. Rogers understood that a different perspective would change your focus and eliminate your bias.
As you go through your day today, try to gain knowledge and apply it in the form of wisdom by eliminating your own preconceived bias.
Today’s the day!
