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About this quote

What does it mean?
True objectivity does not exist because everyone has some bias or perspective.
In plain terms
Everyone has bias; no one sees everything perfectly.
What can you take from it?
Acknowledge your biases to see more clearly.

Where it applies

  • reporting
  • judging
  • debate

Putting it to work

  • ask for feedback
  • list biases
  • listen more

Questions to consider

  • What biases do you hold?
  • Can you ever be truly neutral?

Another view

Some fields like science strive for near-objective methods.

More from Lillian Hellman

  1. My father was often angry when I was most like him.

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  2. Nothing you write, if you hope to be any good, will ever come out as you first hoped.

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  3. It's an indulgence to sit in a room and discuss your beliefs as if they were a juicy piece of gossip.

    Permalink to quote #21

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