Hello! In our last lesson, we focused on intellectual humility—the practice of acknowledging uncertainties and limitations in your arguments to build credibility. We saw how this can be done subtly with cautious language or directly with conversational asides.
Today, we take that self-aware approach one step further. The goal of this lesson is to examine one of your own biases or assumptions explicitly in a reflective piece. This moves beyond acknowledging a weak point in an argument and into the deeper, more philosophically rich territory of questioning the very lens through which you view the world. This practice is fundamental to using writing as a "medium of thought" and is a key ingredient in the self-reflective, insightful style you're aiming for.
1. What Are Biases and Assumptions?
In everyday language, "bias" often has a negative connotation. For our purposes, let's think of biases and assumptions more neutrally, as the brain's mental shortcuts. They are the pre-existing frameworks, beliefs, and patterns of thought that help you process an overwhelming amount of information quickly. They are essential, but because they operate in the background, they can also silently shape your judgments and close you off to new ideas.
Given your interests in science and philosophy, you can think of this as similar to the scientific method. A good scientist doesn't just test a hypothesis; they actively try to disprove it. They question their own assumptions about the experimental setup and the interpretation of data. In writing, we'll be doing something similar: turning the critical lens inward on our own thinking.
To get a clearer picture of these mental shortcuts, let's watch a brief introduction to cognitive biases.
How to Make Better Decisions: 10 Cognitive Biases and How to Outsmart Them
The video 'How to Make Better Decisions' from The Art of Improvement provides a quick, clear overview of what cognitive biases are and gives some common examples. It will help us build a shared vocabulary.
Please watch the following segments: What Are Cognitive Biases? (0:00 - 0:57): Focus on the definition of a bias as a 'systematic error in thinking' and a 'mental shortcut'. Actor-Observer Bias (2:45 - 3:21): Note the tendency to attribute our failures to external factors and others' failures to internal ones. Narrative Bias (3:07 - 3:58): Pay attention to how our brains create stories to link information, sometimes ignoring facts that don't fit. Survivorship Bias (3:44 - 5:18): The story of Abraham Wald and the WWII planes is a classic, powerful example of how focusing only on successes leads to flawed conclusions.
As you can see, these biases aren't moral failings; they are features of how our minds work. The first step to overcoming them is simply becoming aware that they exist. The next step is to use a tool to bring them into the light. That tool is writing.
2. Writing as the Ultimate Bias Detector
You've expressed a desire to use writing as a "medium of thought." This is the perfect context for that. Writing doesn't just record fully-formed ideas; it forces them into existence and puts them to the test. An idea that feels coherent and brilliant in your head can often crumble into a vague, contradictory mess once you try to pin it down in sentences. This "crumbling" is a feature, not a bug. It's the moment of discovery—the point where you find the hidden assumption.
Essayist and programmer Paul Graham wrote a foundational piece on this topic called 'Putting Ideas into Words'. He argues that the act of writing is the most rigorous test for any idea.
Please read the following parts of the essay: Start from the beginning and read the first four paragraphs, ending just before 'In precisely defined domains...'. Focus on how writing reveals that your ideas are often 'imprecise' and 'incomplete'. Read the paragraph starting with 'If you make an effort...'. This introduces the idea of reading your own work as a 'neutral stranger'—a key technique for spotting hidden assumptions. Finally, read the last two paragraphs, starting from 'If writing down your ideas always makes them...'. This is Graham's powerful conclusion about why people who don't write may not even be aware of the flaws in their thinking.
Graham's point is crucial: if you never force your ideas through the strict filter of writing, you may never realize they're built on a shaky foundation.
Let's see a remarkable real-world example of this process in action. Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and writer, used writing to confront a deeply ingrained assumption in his own professional life, which led to his influential book, Being Mortal.
How to Use Writing to Improve Your Thinking — Atul Gawande
In this interview, Atul Gawande explains how writing is his way of grappling with problems he doesn't understand. His description of how he came to write 'Being Mortal' is a perfect case study in examining a core assumption.
Watch the segment from 28:20 to 35:18. Pay close attention to: Gawande's starting point: his discomfort and feeling of incompetence when dealing with patients he couldn't 'fix'. The core assumption he had: that the goal of medicine was to save lives and ensure independence. How the process of researching and writing forced him to discover a new, more profound goal: understanding a patient's priorities for a good life, even at the end.
Gawande didn't sit down knowing the answer. He sat down with a question, a discomfort. The writing process was his way of discovering and dismantling his own bias—the "fix-it" bias of a surgeon—and replacing it with a more humane perspective.
3. Identifying Your Own Assumptions About Writing
So, how do you find your own biases to write about? A great place to start is with the subject of writing and creativity itself. Many of us hold unexamined beliefs about what it means to be a "real" writer or a "creative genius."
You can be truly creative if you let go of your assumptions
The essay 'You can be truly creative if you let go of your assumptions' by James C. Kaufman explores common biases people have about creativity that can hold them back.
Please read the first several sections of the article, stopping just before 'My colleague Vlad Glăveanu...'. Focus on the author's own experience with the 'genius bias' and his descriptions of the 'art bias' and 'novelty bias'. As you read, ask yourself if any of these sound familiar to your own thinking about creativity.
The author's "genius bias"—the assumption that the only creativity worth pursuing is that of geniuses like Shakespeare or Morrison—is a powerful example. It's an assumption that can paralyze aspiring writers. Explicitly examining it, as he does in the essay, is the first step toward overcoming it.
Test your understanding!
Based on the resources, what is the relationship between writing and discovering your own assumptions? Why is simply thinking about a topic often not enough to reveal your biases?
Show answer
The relationship is that writing acts as a severe test or filter for your thoughts. According to Paul Graham, ideas can feel complete and correct inside your head, but the act of committing them to specific words forces you to confront their vagueness, incompleteness, and contradictions. Simply thinking about a topic allows you to gloss over these flaws. Writing, especially when you try to read it as a neutral stranger, makes the gaps and shaky assumptions impossible to ignore. As Atul Gawande demonstrated, it is a process of grappling and sorting things out on the page.
4. Practice: Writing Your Reflection
Now it's time to put this into practice. Your task is to write a short, reflective piece that explicitly examines one of your own biases or assumptions.
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Identify an assumption. Spend about 5 minutes thinking. This is the hardest part. Use these prompts to help you:
- The "Genius" Bias: Do you believe that to be a "real" writer/artist/scientist, you have to be a once-in-a-generation talent? Do you discount your own "little-c" creativity?
- The "Art" Bias: Do you instinctively feel that writing a poem is more "creative" than designing an elegant piece of code or a clever solution to a math problem?
- Survivorship Bias: When you think about success (e.g., successful YouTubers, famous scientists), do you focus only on the famous winners and ignore the thousands who tried and didn't succeed? What lessons might you be missing?
- A Philosophical or Personal Belief: Think of a strong opinion you hold. What is the core assumption it rests on? What if that assumption is wrong? (e.g., "I assume that a more logical argument is always a more persuasive one.")
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Write a reflective piece (approx. 200-300 words).
Structure your writing around these points:- State the assumption clearly: "I used to assume that..." or "I've realized I have a bias toward..."
- Explore its origins: "I think this belief came from..."
- Describe the moment of questioning: "But then I read/saw/thought about X, and it made me question..."
- Reflect on the shift: "Now, I'm trying to see it differently..." or "I'm still grappling with this, but..."
Don't worry about being perfect. As Gawande showed, the value is in the grappling. This is you, using writing as a medium of thought. Take about 15 minutes for this.
Conclusion
Today we've delved into one of the most powerful uses of writing: as a tool for self-discovery. By treating your writing as a laboratory for your thoughts, you can uncover and examine the hidden assumptions that shape your worldview.
Key Takeaways:
- Biases are mental shortcuts, not character flaws. The goal is awareness, not elimination.
- Writing is a test. It forces vague ideas into the open, revealing their underlying assumptions and weaknesses.
- Explicitly examining your biases in your writing is a mark of intellectual honesty and depth. It builds trust and makes your work more compelling and relatable.
A Look Ahead:
In our next lesson, we'll continue exploring how the form of your writing can shape its meaning. We'll learn how to outline a short piece using an unconventional format (e.g., a list, a dialogue, or fragments) to support its central idea. Moving away from the standard essay structure is another excellent way to break free from conventional thinking and find more creative ways to express your ideas.