Book Review: Blink

Author: Malcom Gladwell
Reviewed By: Rev. Patrick L. Clements
President, Church Extension Plan

Do you ever have a “gut” reaction to something? Perhaps you’ve had a positive or negative sentiment to a situation, an item, or a picture. Something tells you that it is instinctively right or that it is terribly wrong, but you can’t quite pinpoint why you feel the way you do. Malcolm Gladwell examines this subconscious process in his book Blink, and he explains how to use this process to our benefit as well as what to avoid.

Gladwell fills his book with stories about people who have had insights in the blink of an eye that were incredibly accurate, yet they couldn’t explain why they came to the conclusion that they did. He explains that their unconscious mind goes through a rapid series of analysis about a situation that then results in an instant opinion. This opinion is valuable and often has insight that doesn’t come from careful evaluation. Incorporating this ability to make rapid judgments can help us with our decision making. The problem is, however, that we have difficulty unlocking the door to this part of our mind. The more we try to find a reason for our conclusions with our conscious mind, the more confused we become. We question our quick thinking and can turn away from the insight that we had. Sometimes, we need to trust our “gut”.

The other pitfall we must be aware of is that sometimes our unconscious mind can be biased a certain way. Race is one area where this commonly occurs. We may consciously embrace all races of people yet not realize that we unconsciously are biased toward Caucasians. Gladwell gives the interview process as an example. If the interviewer doesn’t realize that he or she is biased against African-Americans, then the interviewer may be more closed to the person interviewing who is African-American causing the person to become self-conscious. It taints the whole process. If we compensate for the potential pitfall of being biased, then we can still harness the power of our unconscious mind and approach life with greater insight.

This book definitely causes one to reflect on what transpires within our mind. It is a complex organ with amazing capabilities.