After reading the chapter on the Warren Harding Error, I have realized that unconscious prejudices have a huge impact on everyday life. The main point that stood out to me was the fact that our entire nation chose a president just based on his physical appearance. We assumed from Warren Harding's physical attributes of being tall, dark, handsome, and confident that he would be a good leader. He turned out to be one of the worst presidents in American history. In my opinion, the takeaway message of this chapter was to inform the readers about unconscious biases and have them comprehend the large affect they have on life. This chapter definitely pertains to the discussion of leadership we have been having in class. Just like the election of Warren Harding, leaders should never be chosen based entirely on physical appearance. It is proven that most people unconsciously associate height with the ability to lead. 58% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are over six feet tall. Only ten are under five foot six. It is actually possible to reverse our unconscious biases. If you spend a lot of time around the race you are biased against and become completely comfortable with them, it is entirely possible for your bias to change. When electing a president, they should have a specific set of leadership qualities that define them as a good captain. Leaders should be: experienced, responsible, trustworthy, determined, decisive, and intelligent. I decided to take the Race IAT. I found the test relatively easy, and my evaluation in the end was that I did not have any unconscious prejudices against white or black people. This made perfect sense to me, considering I am a quarter African American. I grew up with a half black father and a grandfather that was 100% African American. My mother and her whole side of the family are all Caucasian. Because of this, I am very familiar with the cultures of both African American and Caucasian heritages and my result of no biases did not surprise me.
After reading the chapter on the Warren Harding Error, I have realized that unconscious prejudices have a huge impact on everyday life. The main point that stood out to me was the fact that our entire nation chose a president just based on his physical appearance. We assumed from Warren Harding's physical attributes of being tall, dark, handsome, and confident that he would be a good leader. He turned out to be one of the worst presidents in American history. In my opinion, the takeaway message of this chapter was to inform the readers about unconscious biases and have them comprehend the large affect they have on life. This chapter definitely pertains to the discussion of leadership we have been having in class. Just like the election of Warren Harding, leaders should never be chosen based entirely on physical appearance. It is proven that most people unconsciously associate height with the ability to lead. 58% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are over six feet tall. Only ten are under five foot six. It is actually possible to reverse our unconscious biases. If you spend a lot of time around the race you are biased against and become completely comfortable with them, it is entirely possible for your bias to change. When electing a president, they should have a specific set of leadership qualities that define them as a good captain. Leaders should be: experienced, responsible, trustworthy, determined, decisive, and intelligent. I decided to take the Race IAT. I found the test relatively easy, and my evaluation in the end was that I did not have any unconscious prejudices against white or black people. This made perfect sense to me, considering I am a quarter African American. I grew up with a half black father and a grandfather that was 100% African American. My mother and her whole side of the family are all Caucasian. Because of this, I am very familiar with the cultures of both African American and Caucasian heritages and my result of no biases did not surprise me.
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