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What are you biased about?

Posted: 2005-12-07 07:08am
by The Grim Squeaker
What things do you have a bias of unstoppable knee-jerk reaction to?
it can be minor or simply a certain preference, and doesn' neccesarily need to be positive.

My mind tends to go runny when concerning:
Samurai Jack in a vs debate (And yes, he did take an orbita re-enry unaided, the suit didn't work, and he is faster than most Jedi), Gandalf the white (without holding back despite that at his best he could barely break most of a mountain side), epic level D&D iconic's (Larloch, Iolaum, Elminister etc...), D&D planar forces (Baator, the abyss- any near infinite group with access to commanders that would rip Darth Vader apart), the Shrike (Despite the fatc that high end Flash or Zoom2 can match or exceed his speed feats).

One thing that iv'e noticed is that most memebrs tend to be quite biased towards SW or (to a slightly lesser degree) ST characters (not ships, the calc's are indesputable despite contradictions showing lesser firepower [And I am illogically, stupidly biased against SW yields and thing that 50-100 gt would be abetter figure but I would never ever argue it due to my inexistant evidence and lack of ability to argue with the calcer's [not concerning the DS blast, that I find no problem with).
this is evidenced by the serious argument that Vader would beat current Superman, the argument can be amde but it's frankly fan wanking. (And no, I'm not going to enter a debate about this, and i'm not trying to rerssurect this quagmire)

Posted: 2005-12-07 07:45am
by Trytostaydead
I'm biased against fat chicks, but that's more of a dating preference really..

Posted: 2005-12-07 10:10am
by Lord Woodlouse
I have a bit of a pro religion bias. But I'm aware of it in most debates, and aim to moderate my responses accordingly.

I'm patriotic, so I have a natural bias toward my homeland. Again, I usually try and moderate my responses because I'm aware of this.

When people show pictures of chicks and comment with things like "Wow, her boobs are huge!" I almost reflexively say "They're not that big...". But that got me a bit of a (unfair) reputation over at SB for being some kind of boob obsessive, so I try and hold my tongue these days. :)

Probably my worse bias is with vegetarians. I have almost a personal mistrust of them, for whatever reason. The worst part of is is that I don't usually try and moderate myself accordingly, and feel quite at home with this bias. :)

Posted: 2005-12-07 11:56am
by Big Phil
There's only two kinds of people in this world that I don't like:

1. Those that are intolerant of other cultures
2. The Dutch

Posted: 2005-12-07 01:39pm
by General Zod
What I'm biased about is fairly simple.

1 - Religious whackaloons

2 - DBZ fanwhores.

3 - Catgirls

That's about it off the top of my head.

Posted: 2005-12-07 01:41pm
by Darth Wong
If you define "bias" as a lack of impartiality, there are plenty of subjects. But since it's defined here as "unstoppable knee-jerk reaction", that's a much tighter standard, and very few things fall into that category for me. The only things I can think of that draw an "unstoppable knee-jerk reaction" are an attack on my family or anything to do with pedophile apologism. Other stuff I'm generally willing to see argued rather than just shutting it down immediately.

Posted: 2005-12-07 01:49pm
by The Grim Squeaker
Darth Wong wrote:If you define "bias" as a lack of impartiality, there are plenty of subjects. But since it's defined here as "unstoppable knee-jerk reaction", that's a much tighter standard, and very few things fall into that category for me.
I'm afraid that (As usual) I wasn't clear enough, I meant a personal lack of impartiality or a non rational first reaction to a subject, and not the tighter definition of an
Wong wrote:"unstoppable knee-jerk reaction"
.

EDIT: One thing that iv'e noticed in most boArds is a tendeancy to have American/real world forces represented as invincible due to their real world tactics, superior technology and tank destroying infantry be damned :roll:.

Posted: 2005-12-07 05:59pm
by Rye
I'm biased against organised religion, I think it inherently corrupts.

I'm biased against politics for the same reason. I think the very institution of government will corrupt a person.

I'm biased agaisnt libertarians and anarcho capitalists.

I'm biased against ties, because they're just utterly utterly pointless arbitrary pieces of cloth that exist part of "smart" clothing by mass conformity. I mean, they don't DO anything, except present a choking hazard and feel uncomfortable.

Also, I hate it even more if someone has a tie with the knot being only loosely tied, or it has too many layers, and looks really wide. God that angers me. I have no idea why, but there you go.

I'm biased against emo haircuts and subculture/music.

I'm biased against christianity in aggressive music.

I'm biased against female death metal singers.

I have an a priori anti-supernatural bias according to William Lane Craig.

Posted: 2005-12-07 06:48pm
by Jack Bauer
I have a bias against stupid people.

Posted: 2005-12-07 07:33pm
by Dalton
I have a bias against dating Christians, which I find severely limiting and am trying to correct.

I'm also biased against far-right-wingers, but that's not something I'm trying to correct.

Posted: 2005-12-07 07:50pm
by Yogi
I'm biased against Chrisians. Sure not all Christians are raging fundamentalists, and thereare some good ones. I just whish they would vote once in a while.

Posted: 2005-12-07 07:54pm
by Noble Ire
I'm quite biased against the use of racial, anti-semetic, and homophobic slurs, even when I know their not being used in the offensive manner (I still find the practice idiotic and generally dispicable.)

I'm biased towards the defense of Halo or Star Wars from attacks on any level, although I've been trying to restrain my knee-jerk reactions (especially in cases of simple entertainement preference.) To lesser extent, this also holds true with LotR, Harry Potter, and any Anime I like.

Posted: 2005-12-07 08:25pm
by Rogue 9
Anyone who defends pedophilia in front of me is getting a major flaming. God help them if it's in person.

I'm biased about drug use.

People say I'm biased against the Confederacy, but I say it isn't bias if it's a thoroughly researched position that brings you there. :P

Posted: 2005-12-07 09:15pm
by Ford Prefect
I have a strong bias towards myself.

Posted: 2005-12-07 09:25pm
by Xess
Noble Ire wrote:I'm biased towards the defense of Halo or Star Wars from attacks on any level, although I've been trying to restrain my knee-jerk reactions (especially in cases of simple entertainement preference.)
Ditto, I'm also quick to defend Canada in debates.

I'm also rather biased against anything remotely pseudoscientific.

Posted: 2005-12-08 12:56pm
by Lord Pounder
SancheztheWhaler wrote:There's only two kinds of people in this world that I don't like:

1. Those that are intolerant of other cultures
2. The Dutch
Dutch Hater </Goldmember>

I have an irrational dislike for Irish Republicans. I try not to let politics effect my judgement of people but i find it really hard to not dislike people who want to go against the wishes of the majority and scream discrimination and biggotry while displaying those exact same attributes. I could meet the nicest person in the world but really dislike them if I knew he or she though Ireland should be united.

To a lesser degree I have an inbuilt knee jerk reaction to dislike Roman Catholics, though i usually manage to catch myself on before i cause any offence and i just stop thinking about it.

Posted: 2005-12-08 01:19pm
by Plekhanov
I have a tribal bias against all football teams that aren't Manchester United with a particularly intense loathing of Liverpool & Arsenal.

Posted: 2005-12-08 01:54pm
by HemlockGrey
I tend to have a bias against the South in general.

Posted: 2005-12-08 02:12pm
by Plekhanov
HemlockGrey wrote:I tend to have a bias against the South in general.
By south do you mean everywhere south of the equator or the Southern half of the US?

Posted: 2005-12-08 05:41pm
by Metatwaddle
I'm biased against most things Christian, including (and I'm sorry to say this) Christian people. My opinion of someone tends to improve if I find out they're an atheist, and worsen if I find out they're Christian. It's not something I'm proud of.

Posted: 2005-12-08 05:43pm
by Lord Pounder
Plekhanov wrote:I have a tribal bias against all football teams that aren't Manchester United with a particularly intense loathing of Liverpool & Arsenal.
Ha Ha. :D

Posted: 2005-12-08 05:54pm
by Sharpshooter
Meh, I'll admit it: I have a bias against Republicans. I know it's illogical - I'm trying to work on it, honest - but every time a new Republican candidate pops up, a tiny little corner of my mind always asks "How's this guy going to screw us over today?"

Posted: 2005-12-08 06:17pm
by Civil War Man
Rogue 9 wrote:People say I'm biased against the Confederacy, but I say it isn't bias if it's a thoroughly researched position that brings you there. :P
It may be a bias, but anti-Confederate bias is perfectly fine. I got it, and I'm frickin' Civil War Man.

I have a general bias against politicians. I tend to assume that everything coming out of a politician's mouth is either a lie, or an admission of a negative state in an attempt to garner sympathy.

Posted: 2005-12-08 06:18pm
by Frank Hipper
Faith:
Frank Herbert first planted this seed in my mind when he conveyed that strong belief is an "excuse for extraordinary behavior" in Chapterhouse:Dune.
I hear someone expounding on the beauty of faith and it's shields up, baby.

Values:
Can anyone imagine how, after living in the United States for the past five years, a gay man could possibly be biased against anyone expounding on "values"?
"Values" to me, in the political/media context, almost without fail are the values of bigotry and oppression.

"Family":
Any organisation with "Family" as part of it's name, and the above applies to it. Smokescreen for bigots.
This is so bad I have a hard time seeing a commercial for American Family Insurance without a twitch or two, despite the fact that they're not connected to any fundie mindset to my knowledge.

Sports:
Too many mindless drunks, brain-dead jocks, billions spent, and people who idolise it all have bred in me a self-righteous contempt for the whole scene.

Posted: 2005-12-08 06:23pm
by Dalton
I almost forgot about my irrational hatred of psychiatrists.