The trolley problem, the COVID vax & The Voice

What do the trolley problem, COVID vaccines and The Voice have in common? They’re all examples of omission bias. The only exception is that the first one is a mainstay of philosophy 101 classrooms, and the latter two had and have very big impacts in the real world.

Let’s take a step back for a minute.

For anyone reading this outside of Australia, ‘The Voice’ refers to proposed changes to our constitution to formally recognise the First Peoples of Australia via an advisory body called The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The Voice will give expert advice and perspectives in regards to matters that affect First Nations People.

Sound simple? It does to me, but the controversy flying around the matter has reached a fever pitch in Australia as we fast approach the referendum this Saturday.

There are currently three different types of Australians:

1. Those who will vote yes for various reasons,

2. Those who are unsure how they’ll vote, likely due to confusion, lack of understanding or laziness, and

3. Those who will vote no for various reasons.

I’m a strong advocate for the YES vote, and proud of Bolster’s work across the Uluru Statement of the Heart campaign. I am deeply disappointed in Australians who have decided to turn their backs on our First Nations people. Their decision to vote no shows their lack of commitment to bridge the vast equality gap between First Nations Peoples and those of immigrant heritage (I count the First Fleet as immigrants). But I have to say that those who are vocal NO supporters at least have conviction and have made a decision to vote with their morals, no matter how much I disagree.

What absolutely frustrates and saddens me are the Aussies in the second camp. Not willing to learn more about the Voice and make an educated stand based on their situation and values. Aussies hoping to get by as a fence sitter by staying quiet, not engaging in conversations and leaving their ballot papers blank on the weekend. Maybe you resonated strongly with these two.

If you’re a quiet MAYBE… Let me introduce you to the concept of omission bias.

Omission bias is a mental heuristic. It’s one where your mind takes you through the complex mental gymnastics to make inaction seem less harmful than taking action. In other words, harmful inactions feel better than harmful actions.

During the COVID pandemic, this was seen with hesitation and concerns over the COVID vaccines, while downplaying the risk involved with actually getting the disease. For some, it felt safer to not get vaccinated and risk getting COVID and potentially dying, compared to very minimal health risks with the COVID vaccine. Not to mention apparently getting better 5G.

So if you’re hoping to put your head in the sand and throw your vote, I’d invite you to have a deep think about the consequences of not taking real and meaningful action. In a country where we are privileged with easy and mandatory voting, I’d encourage you to all learn a bit more about The Voice and how it might affect you and our First Nations People. In fact, here are some handy resources to make your life a bit easier:

• The Government’s official, non-biased explanation of what The Voice is and will do

• Some deep reading from Uluru Statement of The Heart

• The YES campaign official site

• A beautiful piece from The Guardian

• The Greens’ stance about the referendum

• The Labor Party’s stance about the referendum

Onya, and hope to see you all out this weekend making history. 💛🖤❤️