Do you understand the true power in your mind? Unconsciously we have an extraordinary capability to analyze problems, eliminate variables and choose the most appropriate solution to the circumstances in which we are. The potential found in the hidden corners of our unconscious, that is according to the author of the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. This author, has shown that snap judgments and first impressions we make on someone are as reasonable as if we had observed a long time, provided we have proven experience in evaluating these situations. We are able to master the ability to reach conclusions faster, able to make snap judgments based on accurate information, and decide to take action. Gladwell introduces the concept "thin-slicing", act with thin slices of experience. Also, this ability can be corrupted by the preferences, opinions, and often unaware stereotypes. Even the most complex situations, the author says, someone can read without delay if it can identify underlying patterns. Leveraging this knowledge, we can analyze the mistakes from the past, to build a better present, and develop new strategies to solve problems that can occur the future. Evaluate only the ability of the individual. Meanwhile, have the responsibility to act using the tools acquired. In conclusion, education and experience are the key ingredients of success. Pino 2 Blink is a book that makes us reflect on unconscious resources that we have, those resources are available to us in order to improve as a person.
As a rule, recognize the true value and the capacity of a person only for their skills. Often we do not recognize the prejudices we possess, and we do not want to admit that we judge different a person by their appearance. Th...
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...presence, prejudices and beliefs as sources of error of judgment, we must examine our first experiences. Because the idea that we need a lot of information to trust our judgments may be inaccurate. Often the effort to achieve this additional information gives us the illusion of certainty, makes us more vulnerable to error. Now, all rapid cognition must be based on our experience needed of cultural preset ideas. Like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”
Pino 6 Works Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: the Power of Thinking without Thinking. New YorK (etc.): Back Bay, 2005.
"Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2010. Web. 25 May 2010. .
Today’s job seeker has tough competition. In the textbook reading “Judging by the Cover” by Bonny Gainley, she argues that job seekers ought to be careful when they make personal choices that initially will affect their chances of entering the workplace. People have a need to be accepted by others just the way they are, but many of us were taught as adolescence that we should not judge a book by its cover, yet people judge others solely on their personal appearances. That goes for businesses as well, “[t]he bottom line is that businesses exist to make money. Whether it seems fair or not, generally employers do care about the personal appearances of the people they hire because those people represent the business to its customers” (5). Maybe
When we go about our daily lives there are many things that go undetected. One such undetected event goes on inside our own head. Thinking without thinking, an idea brought forth in Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, where your brain is processing information that you aren't even aware of yet. Some of the best outcomes are produced from this “idea”. Another huge topic in this novel is the idea of “thin slicing”. Where your brain can come to a conclusion within seconds of analyzing the situation. Thin slicing is proven in this book to be more resourceful than putting any length of thought into a situation. But in order for Gladwell to drive home his ideas, he is going to need the help of some psychologists tests to prove that he is right.
People always say never judged a person by their cover, yet some of us still do it without even trying sometimes. I have done this on multiple occasions without really trying to judge a person. I once had an experience where I was trying out for a new club team and I saw this girl who looked really mean and scary because of the expression on her face. I always thought if I ever talk to her she would be mean, but one practice we started to talk and she wasn’t at all the person I thought she ways. It turns out that she is a nice person who just takes soccer very seriously. This just shows that we can have a certain opinion on someone by their looks, but they may be completely opposite from the way they appear.There’s this book call “Freak the Mighty” which has a good way of showing the theme of not judging a person
In today’s job market, there are many reasons an individual could be turned down for employment. According to Deborah Rhodes, author of “Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination”, appearance should not be one of them. Rhodes is a law professor at Stanford and holder of numerous titles for her outstanding work in legal matters. She is also the author and co-author of over 250 articles (Directory). In this article, she addresses an issue with profound impact on today’s society. She proposes that appearance discrimination should be included in anti-discrimination laws in addition to what is already accepted and legalized in today’s workplace. While it is a seemingly “silly” concern, it is actually quite valid. There has been many a concern over discrimination. That is, discrimination based on race, color, gender, and others of a similar nature in the work environment.
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Everyday people are judged based on their appearance. We need to learn to look beyond a person’s physical image. In the young adult fiction piece If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson, the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and the realistic fiction novel The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls, the authors illustrate how individuals face prejudice based on their appearance, race, gender, and social class.
Tal explained in the article how her family suffered in their early ages and escaped some of their problems, but when they entered a new country they were introduced to new conflicts that they eventually resolved by giving up some of their valuable time and also by teaching themselves to run a business that they have passed onto their granddaughter as a privilege. The argument of this article states that society will judge you in anyway possible because of the privileges you have, but remembering what Tal included in her article saying “My appearance certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, and to assume that it does and that I should apologize for it is insulting. ”(Fortgang 2014:16). As stated in this quote, a person’s appearance will never tell you their story, you will judge them for how they look, but that way is not the correct way to judge anyone, the only way to judge a person is to not judge them at all, because every person has challenges they have to face to become who they are today.
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.
As long as civilized societies have existed, hypocrisy and discrimination have been an unassailable piece of each of them. A punishment for an offense has always been determined by the severity of the action, which inherently depends on the culture of the people. However, the presence of some level of judgement of others has remained inevitable. Many would like to ask the question “Why does this feeling of entitlement to pass judgement exist when everything is subjective to each person’s own morals?” One might ponder that very enigmatic phenomenon. However, this essay will focus on why and how a person should overcome the inevitable mistakes they will make in their lifetime. The word itself seems much too cliche, but as these literary
Often in my life I have felt trapped by the boundaries and expectations that those around me have set for how I ought to behave, think, and feel. Here in suburban America, these boundaries are often set by peers and family, as well as by the media and celebrity figures. The expectations that they have set often dictate ideas that, deep down, I greatly disagree with. One of the most prominent of the ideas is that my worth is reflected in my outward physical appearance. In this world which has declared war on th...
Perception is part of human nature. Human beings started to perceive the world since they were born. Chen & Starosta (1998) states that human perception is a process of sensing the world by using human brain. This process is firmly influenced by a person’s first culture, which means people interpret the meaning of other’s behavior based on their cultural backgrounds and personal experiences. Scollon and Scollon (2001) state based on perceptions, people make assumptions about the other people and then choose the appropriate communicative style in order to reduce confusion and avoid miscommunication. Therefore, I agree that people ‘make significant assumption about what kind of a person the other person is and what kind of a person (they) would like us to think of them as being’ no matter in one’s homeland or a foreign country (Scollon and Scollon, 2001, p35). Making assumption seems a natural process, which unconsciously influenced by one’s cultural backgrounds and first language during the first and secondary socialization. However, when people communicate with people from different cultures, they need to think carefully about the assumptions they made, because some negative consequences could happen from holding stereotype from one’s first language and culture. Thus, we need to learn how to discard stereotype and to be an effective communicator.
This essay elaborates on the importance of physical appearance of an individual as a criterion for personal development and success in a career.
Although we may not realize it, we often times have the sincere belief that we truly do know someone, simply by looking at them. By looking at them, and viewing their external attributes, such as the way that they dress and look, we assume that we know who they really are. However, truly knowing someone goes beyond what they look like on the outside. Victor’s instant judging of Teresa is portrayed when he communicates to the reader, “She was cute. And good at math too” (Soto 1). Victor genuinely thinks that he knows Teresa, and therefore likes her. However, he does not really know who she is as a person. He simply thinks that he knows who she is based off of observing the way she looks and acts. By making the common mistake of judging one’s external attributes, we automatically make the assumption that we know who they are. This common misconception causes for people to no longer try to get to know someone better, because they feel as if they already accurately know who they are. Victor’s judging of Teresa lead him to falsely believe that he knew her and loved her. Due to this, he no longer feels the need to get to sincerely know who she is, because he feels as if her external features define her, and give him an authentic view of who she is. Although we may not realize it, as humans, we often times make assumptions and judge others by the
It is heard throughout all of the elementary school classrooms, recited by teachers and parents alike. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” they say. However, most people chanting off that age-old saying fail to admit that they do, “judge a book by its cover” more than they recognize. And for the most part, first impressions can scream volumes about a person’s character and values. Some people choose not to conform to societal standards of appearance, and like to express themselves through physical means like tattoos, piercings, and crazy hair colors. Others choose to conform to society’s standards, relying on other modes of self-expression to stay true to themselves.
One significant event that has raised questions about being accepted as knowledge is the Tuskegee Experiment of 1932. That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow. Influences in one’s daily life can affect one’s perception. As I have learned all throughout my life, perception is everything. Sometimes, it may not be apparent that something or someone is judged based on how one perceives another, but it has an impact.