As a literature and anthropology student, I feel an impulse to validate what I study to others. The inevitable follow-up question is “Why”? How do you validate your decisions about what to major in and study beyond the obvious reply that “I find it interesting”? It seems to be a tacit expectation that one must expand on their interests and be validated through what they can offer society and how they benefit its members. There is an inherent taboo against any kind of foundational bias in what someone finds compelling, along with expectations to fulfill an unrealistic standard of objectivity towards their chosen field of study.

Although our society in general idealizes objectivity, there is an intrinsic value in certain kinds of bias. For example, the subject of neuroscience itself does not demand to be studied; it is each individual’s experience and perspective that assigns it significance. The factors that motivate an individual can range anywhere from their family and friends who are suffering from neurological diseases or a passion for unraveling the phenomena of memory and language.

The relevance and importance of a subject or field is decided by those who study it. This decision can stem from any reasoning, but above all, it is a personal judgement. This dedication and appreciation can then be spread throughout a society through empathetic understanding. Thus, the importance of an issue can extend beyond those who are directly affected by it. Men can be feminists and people who are not members of a minority can support anti-racism movements by understanding its significance to a larger community. This is a necessary development to spread important ideas and innovations across states and countries.

An essential characteristic about humanity is that we all encompass some forms of bias within our identity, not all of which are detrimental. The challenge is not to pretend that they don’t exist or stifle them into remission, but to learn where they are and to understand why they have been founded. Although objectivity is still a value to strive for, in order to learn where our own problems and mistakes exist and where our biases constrict us, preferences and inclinations can fuel a person’s enthusiasm for literature or provoke attempts to comprehend the facets of the universe.