Blink
Khitij Gupta 2009 CINE Book Review of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink
“Gladwell builds upon the immediate judgments through the presentation of the “thin slice” theory, wherein he relates that the thin slice is the ability of the human mind to accurately zero in on a certain situation and reach a decision in a matter of seconds" “Innovations often suffer for want of these kinds of snap judgments. People sit and brood too much, researching whether similar innovations were successful in the past. The element of scepticism becomes so inherent in our decision making process that for us to even consider the blink effect as credible becomes blasphemous. The entrepreneurial spirit relies on the ability to be able to follow your instincts and be able to act on the spot with whatever limited information is available. Only through the actualisation of the blink effect will we be able to kindle the entrepreneur in each one of us, the way we desire it to unfold" “Innovations are not the only question being posed by the blink effect. What arises out of this entire discussion is also the psychological aspects of human intellect and managerial function. We often let our prejudice and predicaments rule supreme and in the end deny the same through carefully crafting out an excuse. This has resulted in us denying the concept of “intuition” as a made up concept. We have been quick to dismiss snap judgments as mere flukes or lucky guesses. We fail to acknowledge the existence of the sub-conscious as a higher and stronger governing force for us when it comes to taking a stand. It is obvious that the human psyche would fear accepting such a proposition as it shifts control from out of our hands and gives it over to the sub-conscious – an aspect we consider alien to our conscious minds" “More often than not it is better to be ignorant of certain aspects than to be too worked up over detail. The lesson comes from the simple fact that we experience more in life by being adventurous than by being cautious – one can always learn by trying and falling, but the possibility to learn does not exist for someone who just does not try due to too much of analysis and ultimately restricts oneself with the uncertainty of the outcome. Action is personified by the snap judgment, and reaction is the embodiment of deep cognition. It does not imply that one outscores the other, just that contextually both hold their relevance, and should be looked upon with due credibility"