307. The Inherent Bias of Rich White Men

It's good to be a white man in the United States. I know, because I am one. I'm not saying it's fair, I'm just saying that you're biased and I can prove it.

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I’m a white male in the United States. I recognize my privilege. I enjoy my privilege. It works in my favor all the time.

Whether you like it or not - and whether you agree with me or not - the United States was built to support the white male with means. That’s the way it’s been, that’s the way it is.

White men with means have more opportunities and, in general, an easier time than others climbing the ladder to success.

It’s damn good to be a white man of means in the United States.

But more on my privilege in a second.

First, let’s talk about you.

Your Bias And Your View Of The World

You are biased.
I know that for a fact.

I don’t know you well. I mean, you’ve never invited me over for dinner or anything (nudge nudge), but I don’t have to taste your lasagna recipe to know that you’re biased.

Here’s your problem:

• You always assume that the world revolves around you (it doesn’t)

• You assume that everybody thinks like you (they don’t)

• You assume that everybody will have the same beliefs as you (they won’t)

You may think that what I’m saying is all a load of hooey. You may think you don’t do any of that stuff.

But I’m not wrong. You are.
If you think I’m wrong, it’s just proof that you’re biased.

In truth, your bias is the same bias that everybody has. And when I say “everybody”, I mean “every human being in human history.”

It’s called projection bias.

Projection bias is the assumption that everybody else thinks, feels, and acts like you. We project our mental state onto other people.

Projection bias is part of human nature. Some of us have it stronger than others, but we all fall victim to it in one way or another. That includes you, whether you want to accept it or not.

And that brings us right back to my privileged life as a white male.

My Privileged Life As A White Male

I’ve often heard people claim that anybody can achieve success with enough personal grit and hard work.

In fact, that has become known as the American Dream: no matter who you are and what background you come from, if you just work hard enough you can achieve wealth and happiness and all the other things in that Norman Rockwell painting.

But that’s bullshit.

Not surprisingly, the concept of the American Dream was created (in 1931) by a rich white guy who had been born into a rich white family. His name is James Truslow Adams.

The American Dream is a great example of projection bias from the rich white male perspective.

But I don’t fault J.T. Adams for his biased point of view. After all, his perspective is just a by-product of the projection bias from a previous group of rich white guys: our country’s founding forefathers.

Back in 1776, that group of rich white guys wrote and ratified a constitution that states, “All men are created equal”.

But back then, the term “men” specifically referred to white men who owned property.
Not women.
Not non-whites.
Not poor people.
And definitely not slaves.

The US Constitution essentially says: “All white men of means are created equal”.

But seriously, should we expect anything different? When you get a homogenous group of people together to come up with rules, of course they’re going to come up with rules that align with their thinking.

Why wouldn’t they?

So yes, the American Dream is real. As long as you’re a white man - and you work hard - and your parents paid for your college education - and you call in a favor or two from your father’s friends - then that American Dream is waiting for you right down there at the corner of Power and Privilege.

The Problem With Projection Bias

The somewhat obvious problem with projection bias is that it only benefits you if society (at a macro level) - or your company culture (at a micro level) - is aligned with your thinking.

For everyone else, it’s this inherent bias that blocks the marginalized masses from getting a fair shot at climbing the proverbial ladder to success.

Women, people of color, or people who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are continually faced with inherent hurdles in their attempts to achieve the so-called American Dream.

That’s a fact. It happens all the time, every day, everywhere.

Structural inequalities in our society create unequal opportunities. If you don’t think that’s true, it’s because you refuse to accept your bias.

Want an example? Well, you’re getting one anyway.

Imagine you are a non-white single parent who can’t afford a car or child care. You’re reliant on unreliable public transportation to get to and from work, which means you could be late. You’re reliant on your kid staying safe and healthy - which means you have to suddenly take time off work if they get sick.

How the heck are you going to hold down a steady job? You sure as hell won’t be allowed to get anywhere near the American Dream. That door is shut and triple-locked on your ass.

The Projection Bias Loop Of Shame

I see projection bias play out all the time in my leadership coaching business. This is especially true in my work with female leaders who are battling their way through a male-dominated company culture.

If you are a woman, a person of color, or someone from an economically disadvantaged background, you’re not just fighting your own battles — you’re fighting against the biases and blind spots of the people in power.

Leaders unconsciously hire and promote those who remind them of themselves.

Why? Projection bias.

This bias creates a loop. The leaders at the top consider themselves the standard of leadership, which means they don’t change the rules or structures that benefit them. To remove the impact of projection bias, you have to remove (the thinking of) some of the leaders.

I’m not saying that all white male leaders are consciously racist, misogynistic, or exclusionary. Not in the slightest. It just means that the concept of fairness is unconsciously shaped by their projection bias.

So, what happens when women, people of color, or anyone else who doesn’t fit the mold tries to rise to the top? Naturally, they’re evaluated against a white male standard. A standard that they can’t - and shouldn’t have to - ever meet.

I see this dichotomy all the time from male leaders in my coaching practice. Here’s what I mean:

✅ When a man is assertive he’s seen as confident.
❌ When a woman is, she’s difficult.

✅ When a man takes risks he’s bold.
❌ When a woman does, she’s reckless.

✅ When a man is emotional he is seen as passionate.
❌ When a woman is, she’s unstable or fragile.

The Bias In Believing the Bias

Every time I write an article or social post about gender or racial disparities, inevitably some people will tell me I’m full of crap.

They’ll tell me that if women and people of color just worked harder or were smarter, they’d have the same opportunities as anybody else.

They’ll tell me that sticking up for gender inequality “is so pre-2020”¹

That’s why I wrote this article.

Because everybody who slams me for writing this type of stuff, and everybody who unsubscribes when I challenge their feelings of superiority, they all need to understand the role that projection bias plays in their perception of the world.

If you don’t like what I write here, it is simply proof that I’m right. It’s your projection bias.

Next time you find yourself judging another person for their behavior, maybe it’s time you start asking yourself some questions. Like:

• What assumptions am I making about their abilities?

• What challenges could they be facing that I don’t understand?

Getting the answers to these questions isn’t even the important part. What’s important is that you bother to ponder the questions in the first place.

After all, if you want to be a great leader, you need to learn how to pull people up the ladder.

The first step is to become aware of when your foot is stepping on the fingers of the person climbing the rung below.

I quickly transform teams into high-performing, collaborative units.
Want to learn more?

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1. I got that one last week