Categorical Thinking: How to Avoid Bias in Categorical Thinking

Categorical thinking refers to any type of thinking in which you make broad categorizations as opposed to admitting complex nuances.

This sort of categorization can lead to a fossilization of thought. By falling back on the same old metrics time and time again, you make it less possible to rise and meet each moment with the nuance it deserves.

As an example of categorical thinking, consider your Myers-Briggs personality type or astrological sign. Even though you might find some value in these categories, you likely can also see the futility of defining yourself by them solely. Just as you recognize this about yourself, remember the same goes for everyone else around you. When you think of others primarily as part of a group or category rather than as individuals, you risk stereotyping them.

Human beings evolved to think categorically because it initially helped us survive. In a world of hunter versus hunted, it was essential to think and act quickly.

Humans developed heuristics (or mental shortcuts) to solve problems as fast as possible. This led to thinking in broad categories and falling back on routine behaviors as opposed to reconstructing a view of the world anew in every situation.

Today, thinking in a purely categorical way can make it more difficult to assess reality and act in the best interest of yourself and your community.

Categorical thinking serves a purpose, but it can also easily lead to harmful outcomes. Here are three likely consequences of relying too heavily on categorical thinking:

1. 1. Binary thinking: Categorical thinking clouds your decision-making capabilities. In the wake of the data revolution, it’s easy to fall into the mindset that you can use binary algorithms to solve all future business problems and personal concerns. In reality, you’re better off approaching most situations with a human touch. People and problems exist on a somewhat unpredictable spectrum, so encounter each with an open mind.
2. 2. Closed-mindedness: When you think primarily in terms of categories, you keep your mind closed. If you allow your understanding of other people and the world around you to calcify, you become less able to reach out and relate to each new person you meet. Aiming for the defossilization of ideologies and stereotypes helps you better approach the world in a realistic and empathic way.
3. 3. Stereotyping: A categorical cognitive approach can lead to you stereotyping and even discriminating against members of different categories. People find it easy to engage in the amplification of their own homogeneous group’s positive traits while also denigrating the traits of people different from them. In reality, individuals exist beyond categories, and stereotypes about social groups are inaccurate.

It’s hard but extremely worthwhile to sidestep categorical thinking and allow your worldview to evolve anew each and every day. Keep these tips in mind as you strive to overcome the dangers of categorical thinking:

• Ask yourself questions. Treat your own preconceived notions and biases with a high degree of skepticism. Ask hard-hitting questions of the existing categories you use to make sense of the world. View this sort of self-questioning as a constant process, using each day as a new opportunity to increase awareness of different perspectives.
• Look for nuance. When you fall back on stereotypes, you see a colorful world in black and white. Seek out the nuances and unique attributes that make each person you meet distinctly themselves, rather than attempting to fit them into a larger box. For business purposes, overhaul how you go about customer profiling. While categorical thinking might help you lay the groundwork for reaching out to a target customer base, it’s just as essential to avoid over-targeting a group of people to the exclusion of other individuals.
• Practice active listening. As your quest to overcome categorical thinking progresses, lean on active listening as a tool to think more honestly and broadly about the world around you. When you know how to listen to another person, you’ll learn all sorts of things about who they are and how they see the world. This, in turn, allows you to increase the scope of your own perspective.
• Reject binaries. Seek out spectrums rather than binaries as you try to make sense of a complex world. While some things are clear-cut, most exist on a continuum rather than in a black or white box. If you notice yourself shuffling information into binaries, take a minute to ask whether there might be yet another way to view the situation. Odds are good you’ll discover more and more perspectives as you think about a problem with an open mind.

Practicing empathy can help you lead more effectively while building stronger relationships across the personal and professional facets of your life. Challenge your perceptions with the MasterClass Annual Membership and take lessons on emotional intelligence from Pharrell Williams, Roxane Gay, Gloria Steinem, Dr. Cornel West, Walter Mosley, Robert Reffkin, and Robin Arzón.