Do runner have skinny ankles?
How bias entered the tennis arena
When I was visiting the Australian open with my mum, she casually mentions the man’s ankles in front of us as we were walking.
“Oh he must be a runner, look at how skinny his ankles are”….I automatically responded with the question “does running give you skinny ankles?” Which started a whole new conversation about whether or not it was indeed a fact (hint; it didn’t matter).
She presented it like it was a fact and without curiosity I would have been pinned to that assumption for literally my whole life if it wasn’t for curiosity making its way to the front of my brain.
How many things have you believed because someone has presented them to you in a statement as fact?
E.g. “Wow, that mans ankles are so skinny, he MUST be a runner” - Confirmed bias.
“Did you know that runners have skinny ankles?” - flagged for curiosity and continued assessment.
When my mum presented me with zero data to back up the fact that runners indeed do have skinny ankles, my mind went to replace that data for her INSTANTLY. To work with her assumption, and my bias to find a solution to the perceived problem “skinny ankles = runner”.
The mind is a powerful script writer and everyday we are writing, rewriting and interacting with scripts. Autonomously or consciously, our minds help us directly discern whats true to us.
For me in that moment though, I felt really uneasy as I noticed my mind searching for experiences that confirmed the skinny ankle fact, it was super hard to actually stick to curiosity in that moment.
My mind went racing to moments where I’ve noticed neural penetration of someone else bias enter my mind. It happens a lot, almost unconsciously. The thing is though is that I have a sort of secret weapon I often forget I can deploy in this situation, critical thinking.
I can use critical thinking to become curious and ask the questions that will either neutralise or engage with the assumed fact that runners usually do have skinny ankles.
Whether fact or fiction, its irrelevant, but the way in which my brain liked to eat and digest that information that caught my interest.
Do you think runners have skinny ankles?
Why?