The Art of Thinking Clearly_Omission Bias

According to the “Omission Bias” people feel less guilt or responsibility when they pick a passive option. For example, active euthanasia is illegal whereas deliberate refusal of lifesaving measures is legal even though both of them bring the same result. 

When I take a look back, I realize that there are instances where I might have favored passive options, shirking responsibility for the resulting consequences. For example, during the 20th presidential election, I didn’t vote as none of the candidates aligned with my preferences, even though one of the candidates had to be elected. Similarly, I usually avoid confrontation with someone I don’t like rather than openly express dislike towards them as I feel uncomfortable saying, “I hate you.” And recently, I found out that a colleague of mine, out of fear of rejecting a job offer, refrained from actively pursuing job opportunities. Undoubtedly, there could be more instances I haven’t yet noticed. 

In my opinion, “Omission Bias” absolves us of responsibility even when we are actively involved in an event. “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem”. I totally agree with this sentence. And I actually do become part of the problem when I escape from making active decisions and active opinions.This also brings to mind a line from the drama “The Glory” - “I answered with no reply to your text message.” So we should remember that when we decide to express a passive opinion, it has meaning and implications.