TOW #25 - Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

At a glance, a well calculated decision seem to triumph over a decision made from an instinct. Malcolm Gladwell thinks otherwise.

                                                                                          

            Humans' ability to make quick decision with very little information is an amazing talent, as shown through Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. This ability to unconsciously find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experiences is known as "thin-slicing," and it's helpful properties are often overlooked in the world today. Gladwell argues that in many ways, snap judgments might be as accurate as or even better than thoroughly calculated decisions by utilizing anecdotes and rhetorical questions.

            With the use of interesting stories, Gladwell not only manages to keep his audience's attention, but also effectively demonstrates that thin-slicing can be very useful in determining something that would otherwise require an enormous amount of time. In one of the chapters, the author gives an account of a time when a young couple came to the University of Washington where their actions were thoroughly recorded. A psychologist named John Gottman was determining whether the couple will be still together after fifteen years by analyzing their argument of their dog.  Astoundingly, Gottman managed to predict the result with a jaw-breaking 90 percent accuracy, a no small feat considering that he did not use any other information than a fifteen minute videotape of the couple. Using this anecdote, the author is able to reveal that thin-slicing can indeed be used effectively in real life. This shows that in order to determine something as important as marriage, people do not need years worth of tedious data but several signs that jump right at them at a glance. Gladwell is also able to deliver his message of humans' snap judgments in a more interesting manner than to explain his ideas without an example to connect to.

            Gladwell's book periodically contains rhetorical questions to interact with the readers and to transition from the anecdotes to the author's analysis of thin-slicing. After the real dialogue of the couple, Gladwell throws in two questions: "How much do you think can be learned about Sue and Bill's marriage by watching that fifteen minute videotape? Can we tell if their relationship is healthy or unhealthy?" Sure, these questions might not have direct answers, but they do allow the readers to stop and think whether or not if thin-slicing is sufficient enough for the job. With this idea in mind, the readers are able to go directly into the author's take of the issue and his analysis of Gottman's "love lab" without any additional transitions. While these rhetorical devices might not directly show that snap judgments might be as accurate as or even better than thoroughly calculated decisions, they work as little checkpoints for the readers and urge them to read further. "Can a marriage really be understood in one sitting?" The readers would probably think 'I do not know. I better read more,' and would be satisfied to see the answer later on.

            Utilizing anecdotes and rhetorical questions, Malcolm Gladwell effectively argues that thin-slicing can be just as useful as or even better than a time-consuming judgment.  Gladwell's view on this relatively unknown ability makes the readers think twice about the whole nature of decision making.

IRB #4 - Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

            Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about "intuitive repulsions" that people get from time to time. It is a book that tries to convince the reader that decisions made in a short burst of time can be as good as the decisions made in an extended period of time. The author claims that the book will touch on the subject of when instincts work against people, and how snap judgments can be educated and controlled. I decided to give this book a try because I personally believe that I am an intuitive person myself, trusting my gut instincts and sometime my impulses. While I was reading the introduction, a thought flashed across my mind: if people get their "intuitive repulsions" from time to time, doesn't that mean that I picked this book to give it a try because of my own "intuitive repulsion?" As it turned out, my intuition was right, for Gladwell claims that the design of the cover,  whatever associations I had with his name, and the short story that I already read at the beginning of the introduction has "fundamentally shaped the way" I read up to page 13 of the book. Through this book (which totally grabbed my attention after this incident by the way), I hope  to learn more about intuition and how I can control my own impulses so that they could benefit me. 

TOW #24 - "Lusting For Spring In Our Hearts" by Linda Holmes

Ahh...Spring!

            In her article "Lusting For Spring In Our Hearts," Linda Holmes expresses her joy of spring, a season that many people take for granted, and truly makes it special. To many people, spring is that natural phenomenon in which "their side of the globe" becomes warmer because it is closer to the Sun, but it means much more to Holmes. To her, spring is a gift that everyone was waiting for too long ever since the bitter winter started, and she is enjoying every second of it. Even the unpleasant rain and the wishy-washiness of the warm and cold weather are tolerable because it prepares people for their one perfect day. Throughout the writing, Holmes cleverly utilizes anecdotes to form a connection to the readers and to introduce her important ideas.

            The author's personal stories are scattered throughout the entire article which provides the necessary transition from one ideas to other while giving the idea that she is like any other people who cannot stand the winter anymore. Her introduction itself is an anecdote that starts out as "A friend of mine grumbled on Facebook recently about the phenomenon of people moaning in despair over April's weather. There's often a cold snap around this time, she pointed out. There's often unpleasant rain. There's often unpredictability" (Holmes). The author then uses this story as a springboard to propel herself to her assertion: all the impatience and restlessness in April are the signs of people's lust for spring. Later on in the text, Holmes mentions how she brought a comfortable chair for her balcony and (admittedly) watched an episode of Orphan Black on her table with her feet propped up on the railing. Through this, Holmes openly shows that she is just one of many people enjoying the warmth and the good-hearted air in the spring, and ultimately forms a connection with the audience who are trying to enjoy their perfect day of spring.
            Through her use of anecdotes, Linda Holmes is able to smoothly introduce her ideas and form connections with her readers. She asserts that everyone has been waiting for  the spring, and all the agitation going around this time of the year shows that people are dying for that day when the weather would finally get warm enough for the stupid jackets to come off. Lucky for them, for as Holmes states at the very end of her article, "Lust so rarely comes with a guarantee."