Ezra's review of Blink

Blink Blink
by Malcolm Gladwell
767304
Ezra's review  
rating: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
status: Read in October, 2008, read count: 1

Initially rated this 4 stars. Went back earlier today and re-read a couple sections. Bumped it up to 5 stars.

We tend to quickly assess the data around us. This is called thin-slicing. Gladwell certainly has some faith in this ability: “Sometimes we’re better off if the mind behind the locked door makes our decisions for us.” (p.61) We run into trouble when we stop using this ability, such as in cases of extreme stress. We can stop... Take a breath... Bring down the heart rate and restore our ability to assess.

The micro-second expressions on the faces of a married couple reveal how they feel about each other enough to predict whether they will divorce. The best four are cases of defensiveness, stonewalling, criticism, and (most importantly) contempt. Expressing that someone is of lower value is the death knell.

Experience allows experts tap thin-slicing to make statements like, "It feels wrong." Later careful evaluations may reveal wha...more
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