“Whistling Vivaldi”
Social psychologist Claude Steele in a conversation with Shankar Vedantam, host of the podcast Hidden Brain, recounts an experience of Brent Staples, now a columnist at The New York Times. As a graduate student at the University of Chicago walking down the streets of Hyde Park he could observe that, as an African American male, people were often nervous with his presence. Yet, when he whistled Beatle tunes and Vivaldi they relaxed. Claude calls this phenomenon Whistling Vivaldi.
I recall the pollical and social activist, Angela Davis, recounting the experience of going into a high end shoe store in the south and being treated as persona non grata. Yet when she returned and spoke French with a companion she was treated with respect and as a potential valued customer.
Claude Steeele reminds us that that we seldom see other people and other people seldom see us or even objects. I know, for example, that when I edit this blog no matter how many times I proofread it, I will miss some mistakes which others will quickly notice. I see what I expect to see. There are numerous stories of the staff of financial institutions such as banks treating a very wealthy person badly because he or she are not dressed as they expect a wealthy person to dress. The world renown violinist Joshua Bell at times will dress in his well broken in blue jeans and play his Strativarius violin outside the entrance to the train terminal in Washington, D. C. People will donate money to him just as they would to any hungry street musician. My suspicion is that even those who have often seen him playing with world famous symphony orchestras do not recognize him.
Skin color, dress, size, age, situation, religious or cultural labels, gender, mannerisms, voice and a host of other factors which are associated in our minds with experiences or assumptions of ourselves and others determine what we see or hear. Many of us know this to be the case and, yet,even if we are paying attention, continue to make judgements based on these perceptions just as others do with us. We will often assume we are seeing or hearing a shared reality. Perhaps some of us have fallen into the trap of arguing with a partner or another about “the truth” when, in fact there is more than one truth. Of course, there are times when we do have a shared reality but out of habit, fear, or some other motive we are not able to allow ourselves to validate the shared reality.
In my quest to be a better brother, friend, citizen, neighbor or colleague I often challenge myself to see or hear past these stored expectations. My spiritual teacher often challenged us to walk one busy city block and notice how often we label or judge others; how often we make assumptions based on size, manner of dress, religious symbols, skin color/hue, mannerisms, gender, or other factors which reveal nothing about the person. Personally, even knowing my goal of not doing this, if I am honest, I continue to do make assumptions and label people.
The good news is I know I am not seeing or hearing the person. I am not in a position to make assumptions about individuals. I have no idea of the history of this life journey or the history of the ancestors they carry with them. If we do not continue to remind ourselves of this fact there is no possibility of a shared reality which will allow us to create a shared and caring community. There is no possibility that we can appreciate and share the gifts and talents of each of us which will allow us to join together to create that shared and caring community.
Written February 11, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Social psychologist Claude Steele in a conversation with Shankar Vedantam, host of the podcast Hidden Brain, recounts an experience of Brent Staples, now a columnist at The New York Times. As a graduate student at the University of Chicago walking down the streets of Hyde Park he could observe that, as an African American male, people were often nervous with his presence. Yet, when he whistled Beatle tunes and Vivaldi they relaxed. Claude calls this phenomenon Whistling Vivaldi.
I recall the pollical and social activist, Angela Davis, recounting the experience of going into a high end shoe store in the south and being treated as persona non grata. Yet when she returned and spoke French with a companion she was treated with respect and as a potential valued customer.
Claude Steeele reminds us that that we seldom see other people and other people seldom see us or even objects. I know, for example, that when I edit this blog no matter how many times I proofread it, I will miss some mistakes which others will quickly notice. I see what I expect to see. There are numerous stories of the staff of financial institutions such as banks treating a very wealthy person badly because he or she are not dressed as they expect a wealthy person to dress. The world renown violinist Joshua Bell at times will dress in his well broken in blue jeans and play his Strativarius violin outside the entrance to the train terminal in Washington, D. C. People will donate money to him just as they would to any hungry street musician. My suspicion is that even those who have often seen him playing with world famous symphony orchestras do not recognize him.
Skin color, dress, size, age, situation, religious or cultural labels, gender, mannerisms, voice and a host of other factors which are associated in our minds with experiences or assumptions of ourselves and others determine what we see or hear. Many of us know this to be the case and, yet,even if we are paying attention, continue to make judgements based on these perceptions just as others do with us. We will often assume we are seeing or hearing a shared reality. Perhaps some of us have fallen into the trap of arguing with a partner or another about “the truth” when, in fact there is more than one truth. Of course, there are times when we do have a shared reality but out of habit, fear, or some other motive we are not able to allow ourselves to validate the shared reality.
In my quest to be a better brother, friend, citizen, neighbor or colleague I often challenge myself to see or hear past these stored expectations. My spiritual teacher often challenged us to walk one busy city block and notice how often we label or judge others; how often we make assumptions based on size, manner of dress, religious symbols, skin color/hue, mannerisms, gender, or other factors which reveal nothing about the person. Personally, even knowing my goal of not doing this, if I am honest, I continue to do make assumptions and label people.
The good news is I know I am not seeing or hearing the person. I am not in a position to make assumptions about individuals. I have no idea of the history of this life journey or the history of the ancestors they carry with them. If we do not continue to remind ourselves of this fact there is no possibility of a shared reality which will allow us to create a shared and caring community. There is no possibility that we can appreciate and share the gifts and talents of each of us which will allow us to join together to create that shared and caring community.
Written February 11, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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