Thinking Behind Blinking

Thanks to Prof. Mike Randall of The University of Endless Learning at The Republik, book reports have returned from the halls of high school to haunt us. Luckily for Prof. Randall, my book assignment did not merely instill applicable marketing principles, but was indeed interesting.

Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell, offers insight into decision-making processes: “Truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.”

Gladwell first got the idea to write this book after he grew his hair long. He began getting speeding tickets, was pulled out of airport security lines and, most disturbingly, Gladwell was approached by police officers on the streets of Manhattan as a suspect in an assault case. Gladwell got to thinking about the power of first impressions and began conducting his own research. 

Through a multitude of case studies, Gladwell aims to convince readers that quick decisions can be equally as valuable as cautious ones, answer when instincts should be trusted and also demonstrate the ability to educate and control snap judgments/first impressions.

I recommend Blink not only for the business world, but for everyone to read in an effort to expand awareness around decision-making and thus alter behavior positively.