#333 The Self-Interested Case for Examining Your Biases | John Biewen

Too often, I fear, the process of looking at your biases can be presented like eating your vegetables. In fact, one of the most fascinating and rewarding things I have attempted to do in recent years is to take a good, hard look at my own prejudices and conditioning, especially as a white man. I don’t want to pretend that this kind of exploration is easy or that I am especially evolved; I still screw up all the time. However, one thing that I think is often underplayed is that doing this work can be deeply enjoyable and also pay off profound dividends. 

One of my most important role models here has been John Biewen, host of a podcast called Scene on Radio. The show has had four seasons, but the seasons that have most impacted me are two and three. Season two was called “Seeing White,” in which he explores white people and whiteness. Season three is called “Men,” in which he looks at sexism. Hat tip to Sebene Selassie, a friend, meditation teacher, and frequent guest on this show, who turned me on to John Biewen’s work. It has had a profound impact on me. I was not surprised to learn that John is a meditator, a practice that has helped him as he’s done his work. One quick audio note as we get to the interview, you may hear background noise on his end occasionally, but it’s just some yard work, and shouldn’t be too distracting. 

Another order of business: In response to our ever-changing reality, we’ve done our best to use this podcast to help you figure out how to navigate our world. And as you know, the practice of meditation undergirds nearly all of the practical takeaways you hear us discuss on this podcast. Many of our podcast guests have also contributed to our companion meditation app, which is also called Ten Percent Happier.

Our app helps you understand both how to practice meditation and how meditation can help you navigate our ever-changing world. We hope that you'll subscribe to our app to learn how to care for yourself and others during crises (which are, after all, inevitable). 

To make it easier, we're offering 40% off the price of an annual subscription for our podcast listeners. We don’t do discounts of this size all the time, and of course nothing is permanent—so get this deal before it ends on April 1st by going to https://www.tenpercent.com/march.

And here’s a link to Love & Resilience: The Contemplative Care Summit (March 25 - 29).

Where to find John Biewen online: 

Website

Scene on Radio online:

Website

Twitter

Podcasts Series Mentioned:

• Scene on Radio - Seeing White
• Scene on Radio - MEN

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Ibram X. Kendi
• Carolus Linnaeus and the Linnaean system 
• Chenjerai Kumanyika
• Census Act of 1790
• The Naturalization Bill of 1790
• Loretta Ross
• TPH Episode with Loretta Ross
• Dolly Chugh
• TPH Episode with Dolly Chugh
• Shannon Sullivan, professor of philosophy at University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Additional Resources:

• Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live
• Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide
• Free App access for Frontline Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care