Learning How to See
- Liz Jones
- Sep 4, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 12
Our September Butterfly Series meeting online focused on Richard Rohr’s characterisation of four different world views. Rohr feels that these can broaden our understanding of different levels of consciousness. Our October meeting will focus on the work of Brian McLaren, who has developed a list of thirteen biases which he says can also affect the development of our personal worldview.
Brian describes himself as an author, speaker and activist, also a pastor, teacher and therapist. His “Learning How to See” podcast series was adapted from his e-book, ‘Why Didn’t They Get It?”, which he began writing in 2016. In these podcasts, he converses with Richard Rohr and Jacqui Lewis. Jacqui is a Presbyterian senior minister at Middle Church in Manhattan. She has gravitated towards a narrative way of thinking about becoming a person. Jacqui finds this becoming is in the stories that shape us, resonate with us, that make us who we are.
McLaren believes that it is not enough to “just teach people better ideas and thoughts.” Instead, it is better to teach them a new way of seeing and thinking because in their current way of seeing and thinking, they aren’t even capable of understanding the new ideas and thoughts they really need. In the first podcast, Why Can’t We See, as a response, Rohr quotes from the 13th century Franciscan philosophy, “Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the receiver.” Lewis adds that “we’re looking for the story that doesn’t necessarily change our minds, we’re actually looking for the story that confirms what is in our minds.”
McLaren’s 13 biases
While watching the lead up to the American Presidential elections which resulted in the January 2017 election of Donald Trump, McLaren observed a pattern of prejudice/bias or pre-critical inclinations. Then he formulated a set of these inclinations – which he describes as a pattern of distortion in our ability to really see what’s there.
Here, with a brief description, is this set which Brian developed, conveniently all beginning with the letter “C”.
Confirmation bias: The human brain welcomes information that confirms what it already thinks and resists information that disturbs or contradicts what it already thinks.
Complexity bias: The human brain prefers a simple lie to a complex truth.
Community bias: The human brain finds it very hard for you to see something your group doesn’t want you to see, we put the tribe over truth.
Complementarity bias: If people are nice to you, you’ll be open to what they see and have to say. If they aren’t nice to you, you won’t. We mirror back the attitude we receive from other people, and that makes us open or closed to what they say, whether it’s true or not.
Contact bias: If you lack contact with someone, you won’t see what they see.
Conservative/Liberal bias: Our brains like to see as our party sees, and we flock with those who see as we do.
Consciousness bias: Our brain sees from a location, a person’s level of consciousness or we could say their cognitive maturity makes seeing some things possible and seeing other things impossible.
Competency bias: Our brains prefer to think of ourselves as above average. As a result, we are incompetent at knowing how incompetent or competent we really are.
Confidence bias: Our brains prefer a confident lie to a hesitant truth. We mistake confidence for competence and we are all vulnerable to the lies of confident people.
Conspiracy bias: We are vulnerable to the stories that cast us as victims of an evil conspiracy by some enemy or other. In other words, our brain likes stories in which we’re either the hero or the victim, never the villain.
Comfort, complacency or convenience bias: Our brains welcome data that allows us to relax and be happy, and our brains reject data that requires us to adjust, work or inconvenience ourselves.
Catastrophe or normalcy or baseline bias: Our brains are wired to set a baseline of normalcy and assume that what feels normal has always been and will always remain. That means we minimize threats and we’re vulnerable to disasters, especially disasters that develop slowly.
Cash bias: Our brains are wired to see within the framework of our economy and see what helps us make money. It is very hard to see anything that interferes with our way of making a living.
This is a very brief description of Brian McLean’s thirteen biases. He acknowledges that there are others, but he feels these are the main ones and others grow out of these. He also acknowledges that the first two are foundational. I would recommend listening to the first podcast as it explains, in addition to providing an overview of all these biases, the first two biases upon which the other eleven are developed. Rohr observes, in the podcast, that we need a contemplative mind and a contemplative practice as a way to “get out” of these biases. He is often heard to say “You are not your thoughts. You are not your reactions.”
The remainder of this article will focus on the social dimensions of seeing as a social act. The three social biases are three, four and five. I will briefly outline these and pose some questions for you to ponder!
Community Bias
The third is community bias: it is very hard to see what your group doesn’t see or your group doesn’t want you to see. Community bias has been part of social structure throughout all human existence. Our ancient primate ancestors were successful at not succumbing to this bias. Their secret to success was collaboration. They didn’t have the longest claws or the biggest teeth. Their strength was to collaborate and communicate and work with each other. They evolved to be tribal, independent creatures.
Our brains have evolved this bias to enable us to fit in with each other rather than actually deal with what is true. Life today is far more complex than in the days of hunters and gatherers. We possibly need to think of our tribe as bigger than it is – we need a world view! Unfortunately, humans create communities that reinforce all our biases, we hate the same people, fear the same people and we get farther from reality. People submit to their community bias as they feel the need to belong, and we know this is a very powerful feeling.
Have you ever felt pressured by your ‘group’ into a way of thinking that is contrary to yours, and how has this desire to belong swayed your feelings and reactions?
Complementarity Bias
The fourth is complementarity bias: If people are nice to me, I’ll be open to what they say. If they are not nice to me, I’ll be closed to what they have to say. I am more likely to welcome a friendly face. If we have a system that is oppressing people, of course they are going to be angry. It is very hard to receive a message from someone who is angry and difficult to feel impartial if you feel threatened. We mirror the attitude we receive from others. A lot of energy is put into anger to try and explain why there is anger. But if one tries to be palatable and gentle, it can be seen as a façade. This bias explains why there can be scuffles at rallies and protests, and why there isn’t if the protest is peaceful.
In your lived experiences have you ever felt your ‘group’ threatened, or felt you have had to circle your wagons?
Contact bias
The fifth is contact bias: If I am in the majority, it affects me one way, if I am in the minority, it affects me another way. If you lack contact with someone or a group, you won’t know what they see. I had experience of this when I first went to Moorooka to teach in a school with 90% of the student population Sudanese or other African background. I had no idea of the traumas they may have faced or the difficulties they still faced. To be honest, they all looked alike, I am a little ashamed to say. As I got to know them and they me, my eyes were opened. They were students who wanted to learn, and many had very high aspirations but also enjoyed fun and laughter. I had eleven wonderful years. I moved to St Thomas’ at Camp Hill and I remember saying to someone “I can’t tell these girls apart, they are all blond, blue eyed and have their hair pulled back in a tight pony tail!” Thank heavens the boys were not so homogenous.
But I did what I had to do at Moorooka, and what I had to do as a leader in a Catholic School, I opened my life and my heart to receive them as human beings. Regular contact made a difference. I did often find it interesting however when some people, on learning of my time at Moorooka, asked me how I coped and that I must have had some stressful times? Believe me when I say I would rather face a Moorooka parent than a Camp Hill parent if there was an issue with their child!
Reflection
Has there been a time when you have experienced that eye opening moment, questioning yourself as to why you may have been reticent about a different group or person with whom you have had no prior knowledge or experience?
When we face these biases in our lives there can be conflict within ourselves and even with others around us whom we trust.
How do we help each other to learn to be okay with conflict?
How do we help each other to learn to be okay with rejection?
How do we help each other to be okay with the space between now and not yet?
FAQs Learning How to See
What does Brian McLaren mean by “learning how to see” in terms of worldview and bias?
According to St Lucia Spirituality, Brian McLaren argues that seeing well is not just having better ideas, it’s changing the way we perceive. In Learning How to See he identifies thirteen biases (like confirmation bias, community bias, contact bias) that cloud our vision of others, the world, and even ourselves. He suggests that unless we notice how we already see, new ideas may be invisible to us. In other words, transformation begins when we awake to distortion in our own lens.
How do “Community Bias” and “Contact Bias” shape our spiritual growth and relationship with others?
St Lucia Spirituality highlights that community bias makes us blind to what our tribe does not want to see and contact bias keeps us unfamiliar or fearful of what we don’t know. McLaren’s example of a school with many Sudanese students shows how lack of contact fosters invisibility, while extended exposure opens up empathy and recognition. Spiritually this matters - our path grows richer when we allow difference in, rather than retreat into comfort.
Why are the “foundational biases” especially important, and how do they influence the others?
Per St Lucia Spirituality, the first two of McLaren’s biases - confirmation bias and complexity bias -function as ground zero. Confirmation bias makes us gravitate to what we already believe, rejecting what challenges us. Complexity bias compels us toward simple narratives rather than embracing nuance. Since many other biases build upon these, addressing them early is like recalibrating your inner compass so that all your seeing (including moral and spiritual seeing) becomes more accurate and less reactive.
What practical practices help someone “learn to see” more clearly and cultivate a worldview less distorted by bias?
According to St Lucia Spirituality, learning to see clearly involves both awareness practices and relational work. Examples:
Reflective listening and exposing yourself to stories beyond your comfort zone
Meditation or contemplative silence to notice when your own assumptions pop up
Engaging in community dialogue where people of different backgrounds are present
Critical self-reflection after interactions - asking “What bias might have shaped my response?” Over time these practices loosen the grip of bias and open the heart to more accurate, more compassionate seeing.
How does the shift in seeing described in Learning How to See impact spiritual maturity and inner transformation?
St Lucia Spirituality argues that spiritual maturity isn’t about having fewer doubts or being more certain, it’s about being more awake - to complexity, paradox, and mystery. When we learn to see past tribal filters, we also learn humility, compassion, curiosity. Inner transformation takes form: less defensiveness, more spaciousness of heart, more capacity for beauty in the unexpected. Studies of bias reduction show that people who intentionally broaden contact across differential experience report greater openness, decreased prejudice, and more psychological resilience (Journal of Social Psychology, 2020).
At St Lucia Spirituality we believe the journey is richer when it’s shared. If you’re seeking a place to explore questions, practice mindfulness, or simply belong to an inclusive spiritual community, we invite you to join us. From online discussion groups and meditation gatherings to our growing library of resources, there’s space here for every seeker. Step into the conversation, connect with others, and discover how community can nurture your spiritual growth.
Further Information
“Learning How to See” podcast, hosted by Brian McLaren. Season 1 https://cac.org/podcast/learning-how-to-see/?season=lhts-one#season-details
Note: This link also includes a PDF transcript of the podcast.
Neat summation, Liz, and an insightful example of how to learn to see with an 'Open Heart'! I wish I'd been open to this in an earlier life (though there's no time like the present to give it a try). It's a skill, isn't it, requiring patience, forbearance, attentiveness, observation and, as you learnt, critical self-reflection-on-action (which, as a retired edumacator m'self, I taught as Habermasian review & teacher-learning. Thanks!