This isn’t an actual defined bias or true cognitive effect.
It’s one that I made up.
Understanding that at any one time our involvement with our social circles, our jobs, our friends is influencing our decisions, our fears and our actions can be powerful.
Through spending time alone (“Dr. Quiet”), going on retreats, or shutting down the phone for a day we aren’t looking to go “against” the culture we are in, but often we find clarity.
Often, we can make observations. What’s working, what isn’t working. What could we do differently? What could we contribute or change in the culture?
Maybe it’s in our work, maybe in our relationships.
So the distancing effect is this: As we increase the distance between ourselves and our daily routine, we have more opportunity to see clearly – other, more powerful cognitive biases have a smaller effect as we become the observer.
When we are in the fish-bowl, it can be difficult to see the water. When we have pauses, we can start to notice what is really happening.
Of course, breath attention, or meditation is the acute path, but a mentor, coach, an overseas trip or even an honest friend can help in a similar way.
