Introduction
The book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell is about how we think without thinking. This can be further explained by illustrating that the choices made instantly in the blink of an eye without actually thinking why they are made. The world around us requires that decisions should be footnoted. This means that if we say how we feel about something we must be ready to elaborate about why we feel a certain way. Blink discloses that a quality of good decision maker is not who can spend time providing deliberate answers or process the information effectively but the one who has perfected the concept of “thin slicing” (Blink, 2005). Thin slicing is an ability of the human mind to measure a fact about what they see from an extremely narrow viewpoint that is based on their experience and knowledge. This is how our unconscious mind really works – to rapid conditioning. It sifts through the situation that is in front of us, discarding the irrelevant information and reaching the point that is significant and related to the real subject matter (Blink, 2005).
The two ways that brain process information is either through conscious strategy and subconscious strategy. The conscious strategy processes the information how we have learned about the situations in our lives and reach a conclusion accordingly. The subconscious strategy is the one through which our brain send information through odd channels and reach a conclusion in seconds without informing that it is reaching a conclusion. This strategy was applied in the introduction by Thomas Hoving and the other scholars, who had immediate reactions to the Kouros. They looked at the statue and within two seconds, their unconscious state of mind gave them a hint that something is wrong with the statue, and it did not look right.
Blink explains the concept of “adaptive unconscious.” This is a giant internal computer that quickly processes a lot of information that is required to keep performing as human beings. The negative side of thin slicing. This is when our unconscious state of mind and instincts tend to betray us, and the process of rapid cognition goes out of the line or its real balance. There are situations when due to rapid cognitions, human tend to lose their focus. Hence, it is imperative that the rapid cognition should be taken seriously, and active steps should be taken to control the overpowering state of first impression (Blink, 2005).
Chapter 1: The Theory of Thin Slices: How the Little Bit of Knowledge Goes a Long Way
The main argument proposed in this chapter is that our consciousness is able to find different patterns in significant situations based on behavior on very narrow slice of personal experience. This is known as “thin slicing.” (Blink, 2005). John Gottman who is a popular marital expert claims that if he observes a couple for an hour he is able to gather almost 95 percent of information with accuracy, if the married couple will be able to stay together for next 15 years. He states that the level of his accuracy drops to 90 percent if he examines the couple for 15 minutes. This supports the phenomenon of thin slicing that the truth of marriage can be understood in much shorter time than imagined (Blink, 2005).
Another experiment that Gladwell used to explain the power of thin slicing in the book was a study that he stated as “The Secrets of the Bedroom” . This study was conducted by psychologist Samuel Gosling by giving eighty college students a personality evaluation based on five dimensions: emotional stability, openness to new experiences, agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness. A similar questionnaire was given to the close friends of the eighty students. The friends scored accurately when they described their friends’ personality traits. Then Gosling allowed the strangers to see the eighty students in dorm room for only fifteen minutes and given the same questionnaire to fill. The strangers were able to answer all answers correctly as the friends of the participants except the ones based on agreeableness and extraversion. This explained how powerful the concept of thin-slicing is because the dorm room observers were given only fifteen minutes to observe and thin-slice the information that clicks their unconscious state of mind. While the friends of participants were equipped with a thick slice of information regarding their close friends but if it was compared the strangers had a better success rate to answer with fifteen minutes of observation than the close friends.
Thin slicing is an ability of the human mind to measure a fact about what they see from an extremely narrow viewpoint that is based on their experience and knowledge. This is how our unconscious mind really works – to rapid conditioning. It sifts through the situation that is in front of us, discarding the irrelevant information, and reaching the point that is significant and related to the real subject matter (Blink, 2005).
The ability to thin slice is not an unusual gift. The process of thin slicing is the central point of what it means to the human beings. The fact is that our unconscious is good at doing this because thin-slicing is often able to provide us with improved and better results than what a deliberate, detailed, and exhaustive thinking process can bring upon. It is in human nature to thin slices, whenever we meet anyone in order to make sense and whether the chemistry between them and us matches well and make a perception quickly regarding any new situation that we encounter (Blink, 2005).
Chapter 2: The Locked Door: The Secret Life of Snap Decisions
The main argument presented in this chapter is that our snap decision or judgment is based on our unconscious. This is a critical thought and impression that erupts from our unconscious state. It is important to note that snap judgments erupt very quickly, and they rely on our unconscious state of mind based on extremely thin slices of experience and knowledge that we possess. Hence, the experience of snap judgment and rapid recognition as was discussed in the first chapter occurs behind a locked door. The human beings in general are not very good in dealing with the locked doors. It is very different to admit the power of thin slices and snap judgments, but another thing to trust something that looks mysterious (Blink, 2005).
The world around us requires that decisions should be footnoted. This means that if we say how we feel about something we must be ready to elaborate about why we feel a certain way. This is a basic mistake in approaching this concept. If a person learns the process of quality decision-making, the power of snap judgment should also be accepted. It should be respected that it is possible to know without actually knowing why we know and accept something. Sometimes, the human beings are better this way. The unconscious nature of snap judgment is linked to priming because priming is the slight trigger that helps in influencing our behavior in our unconscious without us being informed of the changes happening in our surroundings.
Chapter 3: The Warren Harding Error: Why we Fall for Tall, Dark, and Handsome Men
The Warren Harding Error exposes the negative side of thin slicing. This is when our unconscious state of mind and instincts tend to betray us, and the process of rapid cognition goes out of the line or its real balance. This chapter illustrates that the basic concept of thin-slicing and snap judgment is an extremely powerful process, but it can become dangerous because one can presume the situation without investigating it. There are situations when due to rapid cognitions, human tend to lose their focus. Hence, it is imperative that the rapid cognition should be taken seriously, and active steps should be taken to control the overpowering state of first impression. The reason being when we take a split second decision we are susceptible to prejudice and stereotypes decisions (Blink, 2005).
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) demonstrates that the unconscious attitudes of a person may be completely incompatible with their conscious values. It appeared that 80 percent of whoever took this test ended up having pro-white link and likeness. This means that it took the 80 percent respondents more time to respond when they were asked to put good words into the “Black” category as compared to when they were required to associate bad words with the “Black” people. This does not mean that one is a racist, but it means that an individual’s attitude towards race and gender functions on two levels (Blink, 2005). First, is our conscious state of mind – our stated value that we chose to direct our actions towards the situation deliberately. IAT does not determine the racism within us on a conscious level, but the inner deep unconscious state of mind is explored, which means the immediate response that clicks us before having time to think deeply about the situation.
People can correct their wrong snap judgment through changing their first impression. The first impressions are created due to one’s experience and environment. Hence, one can alter the way he thin slices and by changing the experiences that comprises these thin slices and snap judgments. For example, a white person is committed to treating black people like he treats a white person it is essential that he changes his way of life. He should meet the black people on regular basis, become comfortable with them and learn about their best cultural practices so that once he associates with them he can feel easy in that surrounding (Blink, 2005).
Chapter 4: Paul Van Riper’s Big Victory: Creating Structure for Spontaneity
Creativeness of the pleasantry side is an excellent example of the kind of thinking this chapter is all about. This involves people making extremely sophisticated decisions very quickly without thinking. The most dangerous part of this improve is making random and chaotic decisions. It is like one goes on stage and designs an entire plot randomly on the spot. But the truth is that it is not random and disordered at all, and all decisions are made the following series of rules and regulations.
As people receive more data and information their certainty about their own decisions and thought, process becomes doubtful and completely out of proportion to the actual order of the decisions. This can be explained with an example in the case: Stuart Oskamp conducted a study where he collected a group of psychologists and made them study case of twenty-nine-year-old Joseph Kidd. In the first phase, they were just given basic information about Kidd. Then they were provided with one and a half page single space page about Kidd’s childhood. In the third stage they were given two more pages of background on Kidd’s college year (Blink, 2005). In the last stage, they were given account of his professional activities. After every stage, the psychologists had to answer twenty-five multiple choice questions on Kidd. Oskamp noticed that with each round of data, the psychologists would go back to the test and change their answers to eight to ten of the questions, but the overall accuracy remained constant (Blink, 2005).
If people have fewer data they are, better able to analyze and make rightful decisions. In the Cook County hospital case, in order to decide whether the patient is having a heart attack or not, the doctors overload themselves with information. This issue has been several times discussed in the studies that why doctors fail to recognize the patient is having a heart attack, and this mistake mostly exists with minorities and female patients. The problem arises when additional information regarding gender and race factors come into consideration where the doctors fail to edit the relevant data from the irrelevant one. Hence, doctors would be better to know less in these cases than more (Blink, 2005).
Chapter 5: Kenna’s Dilemma: The Right and Wrong – Way to Ask People What They Want
The first impression of the people towards the product says it all. Different marketing researchers have found that there are problems when one tries to measure the reaction of people towards the product and their launch. The Edsel and the Ford Motors flopped in 1950s because people thought it was hilarious looking. The Edsel launch started out ugly for the public, and it is still considered ugly. Similarly, there are movies that people hate, and they still hate them. A bad movie will always remain a bad movie. The basic problem is that hidden in the things that people generally hate is a certain class of product that are present in the category because people think they are bizarre. These products can create nervousness, and they are different from the traditional products or services being offered. That is why people take the time to accept them (Blink, 2005).
There are different measures identified in the chapter that demonstrate how much people like a product or service for example the texture and color of mayonnaise, the quality of vanilla in crème brulee, the taste of jam, and colas. It stated that only the expert opinions can be considered as reliable because with experience they are open the gate of the locked door and look inside the room and actually decode what is behind the snap judgment and the first impression of people and products. Expert judgment is significant because they spend years analyzing their unconscious state of mind with the help of therapists until they are able to have control over their own mind and thoughts (Blink, 2005).
Chapter 6: Seven Seconds in the Bronx: The Delicate Art of Reading
The Diallo shooting is the main story discussed in this summary and the three fatal mistakes done by the policemen. The Diallo shooting is a clear example of mind-reading failure. It identifies the loophole in the human cognition, which is the gap between accidental and deliberate actions.
Three fatal mistakes occurred in the Diallo shooting. Mind-reading failure is the main cause of the innumerable arguments, feelings that are hurt and misunderstandings that occur. First fatal mistake was the facial expression of Diallo, he was getting air, but Carroll found him to look suspicious. The second fatal mistake that occurred was the thought of Diallo being bold enough to not move when the police was there. In fact, the police failed to recognize that he was not bold; but curious. The third fatal mistake that happened in Diallo shooting was that when Carroll and Murphy (the police officers) moved towards Diallo, he moved his hands towards his pocket. The police officers thought he was dangerous, but he was not. In fact, he was terrified (Blink, 2005).
The advice that can be given to police officers is that unconscious thinking and frame of mind is not different from conscious thinking. It is important that policemen should be taught to develop quick decision-making through effective training and their own experience. They need to improve their practice and their own unconscious thoughts in order not to suspect the people who are not criminals.
Conclusion
The basic argument in the conclusion is how simple innovation in audition practice encouraged a revolution in a well-established tradition of classical music. Until the 20th century, the classical music industry was dominated by men musicians. The basic reason behind this was the false perception that women do not have the appropriate lung capacity to play the music well like men particularly the brass instruments that required more effort. For example in one audition, an orchestra used the screens in order to hide the identity of the musicians playing because the son of an administrator was also auditioning and it was feared that the decision could become biased. As other orchestras began implementing the screen concept, a strange thing happened. With the musicians being hidden behind the screens, the merit factor took over the judge’s prejudice, and they started accepted minorities and women for their music.
Now most orchestras are done blind auditioning with the musician being judged playing behind a screen. This allows for the judge to judge without becoming bias or racist towards the musician. The advantage if blind audition was that in musical orchestra there were no women because male chauvinists believe that women cannot play music. They failed to realize that music is music and nothing else. It is away from gender and race inequality issues. Blind auditions were done when an individual being tested performed from behind a wall or a simple screen, This assured that the jury viewed the musician purely on his or her performance and the instrument and music being played rather than his race and gender. This ensured that females were able to enter the music market and break the domination of male counterparts in the industry. Gladwell concluded the book by persuading his readers to learn from this lesson and apply the concept of Blink to make positive changes in their thinking process and decision-making in their lives.
Reference
Gladwell M. (2005) “Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking” http://www.125books.com/inc/pt4321/pt4322/pt4323/pt4324/pt4325/data_all/books/w/w%20%20Gladwell%20%20Malcom%20-%20Blink%20%20The%20Power%20of%20Thinking%20Without%20Thinking.pdf
