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The Self-Serving Bias
Summary: Rather than show feelings of low self-esteem or inferiority, as one might think, most people actually exhibit a self-serving bias, which is the tendency to perceive oneself favorably. Through a self-serving bias, we tend to credit our successes to internal causes such as effort or ability, and we tend to blame our failures on external factors such as bad luck. An examination of inner workings of a self-serving bias begs the question, "Can we all be better than average?"
In this comic strip by Matt Groening, the main character, Bongo, is being picked on by another character that is telling him "that everyone in the world hates your guts." Generally, most individuals perceive their selves as being "better than average." We are familiar with our own talents, thoughts, feelings, and emotions more so than anybody else's. This leads to a self-serving bias. In the comic, Bongo reassures himself of his "greatness" until he looks in the mirror. The mirror causes Bongo to be more self-aware of his uncertainty. I chose this particular comic not only because it illistrates the self-serving bias, but also because of the way it incorporates the mirror and Bongo's self-awareness.
The text defines self-serving bias as the tendency to perceive oneself favorably. This bias leads us to believe that we are immune to the influences that affect the rest of humanity. In the...
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This section contains 787 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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