Why I called my book “Breaking Bias,” not “shifting consciousness”
The book is about shifting consciousness, but when it comes to afflictions of the mind and soul, we need to name it to tame it
On January 6, 2021, I watched the news and, like so many of you, felt all the feelings: horror, confusion, fear, and so many more. On January 7, I woke up and knew there was a book in me. Deciding to write the book was hard—and so was actually writing it—but one of the most difficult steps was deciding the title.
If you’ve started reading (or listening to) Breaking Bias or heard me speak about it at an event, you know that breaking bias is the work of shifting consciousness. It’s about moving away from exclusion consciousness and toward inclusion consciousness. In other words, exclusion consciousness is the starting point, and inclusion consciousness is the destination. However, I still decided to call the book Breaking Bias because in order to transform bias within, we first have to name it.
The act of naming is connected to the practice of mindfulness, which is the foundation of my PRISM Toolkit: noticing, acknowledging, and accepting how things are. When we refuse to call bias what it is—to name it—we allow ourselves not to notice, acknowledge, or accept it. We allow bias to keep its power over us.
Name It To Tame It
Last week, I had the privilege and honor to do five book talks at Busboys and Poets, the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD)’s Fall Conference, the US Treasury Department, the South Asian Journalists Association, and the School of Startup Radio. Repeatedly, I encouraged folks to notice the somatic experience of discomfort with bias. Like all acts of naming, naming bias isn’t a passive act. By naming bias, we conquer it. This isn’t purely intellectual or cognitive. The work of breaking bias is deeply spiritual inner work. It creates transformation within, so we can create it externally.
Here’s what I wrote about it in my book:
Inclusion consciousness actively works to deactivate the defilements of the mind. It builds mental formations that gravitate toward interdependence, cooperation, reciprocity, generosity, compassion, and forgiveness. This mindset isn’t a relic of a bygone era. It is here now and a part of the cosmology of hundreds of human cultures today…Breaking bias is the gateway to transition us from the exclusion to the inclusion paradigm. The work of breaking bias…enables us to become intimate with and transform our perceptions and shift our consciousness. In other words, breaking bias is about making the unconscious conscious by correcting misinformation and strengthening positive states like curiosity, compassion, imagination, joy, and forgiveness.
Attend My Upcoming Book Events
Sunday, 10/20, 4–5 pm: Conversation with Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, NYC
Join me and Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister at Middle Church, at Judson Memorial Church for a conversation on Breaking Bias in these times. Feel free to join us for a celebratory and inclusive worship at 3 pm. Register here.
Wednesday, 10/23, 7–8:30 pm: Love & Equanimity this Election Season with Sharon Salzberg, VIRTUAL
Join me and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg as we share frameworks and tools to tackle uncertainty, anxiety, and other afflictive emotions this election season. Register here.
Thursday, 10/24, 12–1 pm: House of Beautiful Business, VIRTUAL
Join me in a conversation with Martha Schabas and Tim Leberecht about detecting and overcoming bias. Register here.
Thursday, 11/14, 6–7 pm: Author Talk with Anu Gupta, BOSTON
If you’re in the Boston area, I’d love to see you join me at the historic Boston Athenaeum for a public book talk and discussion. Register here.
Some Terms from the Breaking Bias Glossary
Bias: Learned mental habits that distort how we perceive, reason, remember, and make decisions.
Exclusion Consciousness: Also known as wetiko, the mindset and attitude rooted in selfishness, greed, hatred, and ignorance.
Inclusion Consciousness: Also known as ubuntu or interbeing, the mindset and attitude that acknowledges the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things in the universe.
Resources and Reflection
Breaking Bias Featured in Lion’s Roar. I’m grateful that Lion’s Roar selected Breaking Bias as one of their fall selections! Read here.
PRISM Practice and Discussion. I spoke to WGN9 Chicago a couple of weeks ago about Breaking Bias and how we can teach kids compassion. I shared a simple song you can sing to your kids (and yourself)! Watch here.
Breaking Bias Toward American Muslims. I recently attended a screening of “American Muslims,” a PBS series executive-produced by my fellow TED Resident and friend, Maytha Alhassan. The series beautifully shows that Islam and Muslims have been an intricate part of the American story and republic since before our founding. Learn more and watch here.
Four Ways To Amplify Breaking Bias in Our World
I hope you’ll help me amplify the book’s important message with four simple actions.
Order Breaking Bias and share a picture of yourself reading or listening to the book on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok, and tag me @anuguptany.
Leave a five-star Amazon review. It really helps with the algorithm so others can discover it.
Please introduce me to any journalists, TV/social influencers, or podcasters you know who’d be interested in talking to me about the book’s themes.
Share this email with five others at your workplace, family, faith community, or your children’s schools who’d be interested in reading/listening to the book.
Mindfulness: Reminders for this Week
“It may seem that we are living in times of great tumult and change. From a deep-time perspective, however, all of recorded human history has felt like such a time for those humans living through it. When I am confronted with such urgency, ancient wisdom and modern science alike remind me of the same timeless wisdom,
that the only way we can end any war is by ending the war within ourselves.
At this moment of our human evolution, the challenges we face have little to do with the lack of money, information, intellect, or even passion. What we lack is the moral imagination and will to live with ourselves and with one another, just as we are, in the fullness of our diversity. For me, this is what we are tasked with in this century – and I am so grateful that you have chosen this journey with me.”
– Breaking Bias
Some housekeeping…
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