Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Gladwell, M. (2005). Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Co.,
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is an inside look at the psychological notion of rapid cognition- how and why people make quick thinking and decisions. The book sets out to accomplish three important tasks. The first task of Blink is to convince readers to understand that quick decisions are often better and more productive than slower, overanalyzed decisions. The second is to answer the questions of when should we trust in our intuitions, and when should we be wary of them. The last important task is that of persuading readers that our quick decisions, snap-judgments, and first impressions can be practiced, trained and controlled in order to make them more helpful to us. Seven chapters of Blink tell significant examples of how people have absorbed rapid cognition in every daily life.
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One of the most powerful examples explaining the benefit of making a quick decision can be found in the work of John Gottman, a researcher on marital relationships. Gottman is able to predict with up to a 90 percent accuracy rate whether a marriage will last or not, within a period of 15 minutes of less, solely by watching videotapes of conversations between the couple. Gladwell also offers Vic Braden as an example. One of the top tennis coaches, he could accurately predict when a tennis player was going to double fault. However, he did not know why he was so accurate in predicting the results. Gladwell admits the fact that the majority of people can’t fully understand how the unconscious mind
Snap judgements are those immediate conclusions we make when we meet someone for the first time or experience something new or different. Many of us make snap judgements every single day of our lives without even being conscious of it. In fact, it only takes us a couple seconds to decide whether we like something or not. Snap judgements are a mental process we all do unconsciously. According to our class reading “Blink” by Malcom Gladwell, Gladwell states that most of us have experienced snap judgments, but we feel like we should not trust it. Snap judgements are not always precise but Gladwell believes we should ignore these odds and trust our snap judgements.
People often underestimate how accurate their subconscious thoughts really are. How can one “think”, without actually thinking? An assistant psychologist at Princeton University, Alex Todorov, answers this question. Todrov agrees that as time passes and one becomes more acquainted with people, one would begin to make a more informed opinion about another that is most likely different than what their fist initial impression would have been, ho...
film. In C. Ingraham (Ed.), Thinking straight: The power, the promise, and the paradox of
To most people the blink of an eye is a very short span of time. Most people would not believe, however, that critical information can be gathered and a conclusion made in the blink of an eye. In Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell proves that split second decisions or what some call “gut decisions” can be just as reliable if not more reliable than drawn out, researched conclusions. Gladwell believes that this book will revolutionize the thought process and the world, he proves this by using exemplification and compare and contrast.
Gladwell refers ‘thin slicing’ as the ability to make a fast conclusion using very little information. This is an activity that almost everybody does on a daily basis when faced with different issues. In his book, Gladwell focuses on how mental process work rapidly for one to make the best and accurate judgements. He provides several examples where quick and accurate decisions are made and they are; gambling, advertising, wars and sales. Thin slicing proves that sudden decisions are right compared to those that are planned and calculated. However, thin slicing can limit individuals’ understanding of the surrounding because of inadequate data.
In his book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow,” Daniel Kahneman defines two “systems” of thought, which he terms System 1 and System 2. Though he defines the two systems in great detail, in essence, the human mind thinks with either “slow thinking” or “fast thinking.” System 1 is the “fast thinking” system. It is automatic and unconscious. It’s based on human instinct and learns by association. System 2, on the other hand, is the “slow thinking” system. It’s the system that we can control, the system that we use when we concentrate hard a...
This novel can easily be compared to the topics I’ve learned about in class. Topics covered in the classroom are the importance of thinking critically about things in day-to-day life. Levitt’s and Dubner’s book is an excellent example of the things that can be produced from thinking critically about the world around us. Being a critical thinker aids people in making intelligent and educated decisions.
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In chapter one of the book Thinking, Fast and Slow Kahneman introduces the two main characters as systems instead of human beings. The author takes the reader on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that describe the way we think. System one is fast, emotional and intuitive while system two is slower, more logical and more deliberative. He exposes
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind In Society:the development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, Ma: Harvard University Press.
Critical thinking a strong and powerful way to use the brain, it is used by millions everyday some without knowledge that they are even using it. Critical thinking according to Diane Halpern as " The use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome...thinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. Critical thinking is sometimes called directed thinking because it focuses on a desired outcome." Halpern (1996).
If life were merely a contest with fate, then should we not think before we act? Though some may argue that the proper time to reflect is before acting, I have learned from experience that, more times than not, this is not the best approach. The ability to act on instinct is crucial to success, in many situations. During an earthquake, for instance, one must quickly respond in whichever way necessary to protect themselves, as well as their loved ones. No matter how prepared, or trained, one may be, there is no way to predict what the essential motions should be taken at the time of an emergency.