In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell, Author of The Tipping Point, surveys psychology studies and relates real world examples of how thin-slicing produces miraculous results and also harmful bias and miscalculation.
The book is about our subconscious and how it affects how we perceive things, how we act, and how we can sometimes know things without even realizing we know them. Gladwell argues that the accepted way of reasoning and decisionmaking (i.e. gathering information, analyzing the collected data, and making a conclusion based on all available data) is not only slow, but also sometimes less effective than "snap judgments" or things that we "sense" or "know" even without knowing how we know them. He calls decisions made quickly, or based on limited information "thin-slicing." He explains, using psychology studies and real world stories, that in some circumstances, we make the best decisions when we act on our gut reactions.
We don't know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don't always appreciate their fragility. Taking our powers of rapid cognition seriously means we have to acknowledge the subtle influences that can alter or undermine or bias the products of our unconscious.
Through real world examples, Gladwell shows us how our subconscious can impact our thinking and our reactions and that we would be wise to appreciate this fact and try to "control" the ways in which our subconscious mind affects our thoughts and actions, because sometimes our rapid cognition causes us to mis-judge things or apply inappropriate stereotypes to situations.
Our first impressions are generated by our experiences and our environment, which means that we can change our first impressions . . . by changing the experiences that comprise those impressions.
For example, Gladwell points out that by creating positive associations with African Americans, we can minimize the subconscious negative associations that studies show most people possess (even those who believe in equality and oppose racism). He also discusses how the belief that only men could play brass instruments caused Symphony audition judges to fail to appreciate women artists who, when auditioning behind a curtain, proved to be superior musicians.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Gladwell's prose is very approachable and Blink reads very quickly. I think the book is lacking, however, in that Gladwell does not discuss how to use our mind and it's ability to discern the truth through thin-slicing other than in the studies and anecdotes he cites. He gives examples of how symphonies were improved by eliminating the bias that thin-slicing and subconscious associations caused, but he does not give the reader a general sense about how one can use the positives of thin-slicing to one's advantage while avoiding its downfalls.
I had hoped Blink might provide some insight into decisionmaking for me in my personal life and work. While I don't think reading Blink was a waste of time, I would have appreciated a more global recommendation for how to apply the concepts about which Gladwell writes to every-day life.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. Blink is not devoid of recommendations for applying the concepts to your life. Gladwell suggests that we "take active steps to manage and control [first] impressions." He states that "[o]ur first impressions are generated by our experiences and our environment, which means that we cna change our first impressions . . . by changing the experiences that comprose these impressions." By actively managing our experiences, we can modify our first-impressions and our subconscious beliefs. The hard part is knowing your subconscious feelings and tastes, and probably even more difficult, is creating and environment or experiences that will modify your subconscious thought to align more with what you want your subconscious to think.
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