Blink, by malcolm Gladwell, delves into the power of subconscious thinking. It describes a technique that humans have called thin-slicing, which is our ability to make an accurate judgment on something with seemingly sparse information and time. Gladwell asserts that, in fact, we take in a lot of information that we do not realize is even there, and our mind does a quick analysis of this information that we only interpret as a feeling. Upon meeting a new person you might instantly get a feeling that they are kind and caring, or unsavory and untrustworthy. This is because you take in things like their facial expressions, subtle movements, tone of voice, and posture, and then you your brain analyzes it all and forms an opinion just outside of your awareness.
This is an amazing ability that all humans seem to possess (unless brain damage has occurred). It allows a person to make a quick decision on viewing a situation that is just as good, and sometimes much better, than deliberating over all the data available for hours on end. The only problem with this snap judgment is that it plays on our already formed opinions and knowledge. Obviously an expert can make a judgment in no time at all, while a novice would need to consult textbooks over several hours to come to the same conclusion. In addition to that, a person who has obvious biases, such as racial or gender preferences, shall be influenced by these opinions. In order to make better snap judgments, a person should do the studying beforehand, and come in with an open mind.
Have you ever seemed to know the answer almost immediately to something without then knowing where that knowledge came from? Can you remember similar situations that you had seen before, which you may have soaked up without realizing?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment