Technology+Leadership+Book+Summary

 It’s that feeling in the pit of your stomach, you know something is not as it seems. Do you know why you feel the way you do? In the blink of an eye we subconsciously analyze our surroundings, but society has taught us to look deeper than these judgmental opinions. Society suggests that knowledge is power, but is it? In //Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking// Malcolm Gladwell takes another look at these subconscious or snap judgments, and even suggests that we may be able to benefit from them.  In the book //Blink//, Gladwell uses the power of storytelling to illustrate both the advantages and disadvantages of making snap judgments. Through these various true stories the reader has the opportunity to connect the uses of “thin-slicing.” “Thin-slicing refers to the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience.” (Gladwell, M. p23) From the very beginning of the book Gladwell explains that thin-slicing is a fascinating yet troublesome part of our unconscious.  //Blink// quickly explains that life experiences shape our snap judgments or the way we thin-slice. The first major example of this is in chapter two where Gladwell discusses priming. Priming suggests that the way we are taught ultimately plays a factor in our ability to make a snap judgment. By priming our brain we are causing the adaptive unconscious to think about a particular subject. “People are ignorant of the things that affect their actions, yet they rarely feel ignorant.” (p71) It is that statement that drives the lessons throughout this book. This book subtly looks at the primers in our lives, and shows that the implicit associations that come from this priming play a role in shaping our beliefs and behaviors.  Because life experiences affect the first impressions we make it is important “that we take active steps to manage and control those impressions.” (p98) While many of us believe that first impressions are spontaneous. Gladwell tells us that “spontaneity isn’t random.” (p114) In fact, he insists that we must have “highly repetitive and structures practice” to handle thin-slicing without showing bias that is often developed by our priming.  Furthermore, it is suggested throughout the stories in this book that just having more information doesn’t mean that someone is more knowledgeable. Sometimes “that extra information is more than useless. It’s harmful.” (p137) Gladwell tells us that it is important that our decision making be balanced “between deliberate and instinctive thinking.” (p141) We have to use thin-slicing or first impressions within context. Gladwell also discusses reading facial expressions to help with our first impressions. He refers to Paul Ekman who discovered micro expressions. These micro expressions are a form of non verbal communication, particularly a “critical facial expression” that is generally involuntary. (p209)  By understanding the way we gage first impressions helps us learn to avoid becoming ‘mind-blind.” In order to avoid putting ourselves in a position of stress to the point at which we are too focused on a particular aspect (mind-blindness) of a situation we have to have what the police refer to as “white space,” the space to think about what is happening before reacting. (p230)  By recognizing and practicing the art or science of thin-slicing we can understand its use. In so doing we can avoid the missteps in snap judgments and the poor decision making often connected to information overload.

Gladwell, Malcolm. (2005). Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Back Bay Books / Little Brown and Company; New York.