In what ways are you applying Gladwell's theories to your personal life? I know that I am a very analytical person and that when faced with something, I can easily toddle down a detail road and never make a decision. When my husband heard at work about Blink and its premise, he started encouraging me to make gut decisions. For me, it worked. But half-way through the book, I started second-guessing myself (big surprise!!) and wondering whether Gladwell was actually anti-gut reaction (anyone else confused at that point?). Then, around page 180, he started making the distinction that gut decisions are for experts, in context, and without distracting variables. I figure I am the expert on me and my life, so I have gone back to making gut decisions. It is saving my family a lot of time and getting the same results or better! I guess I can thin-slice my neighborhood, kids, clothes, tastes, etc. pretty well.
Another distinction came around page 266 when Gladwell defined gut decisions as being best when the issues are complicated and analysis as being more effective when the variables are few.
What about you? How will Blink help you?
It’s a decision itself to decide whether to go with your gut or to use more consideration. I thought the story about Kenna was fascinating. My husband is always bringing home new music and some years ago he brought home a Thrills CD and a Shins CD. Initially I thought I liked The Thrills and wasn’t digging The Shins so much. But before long my feelings about the bands were reversed. The Thrills had catchy songs but their appeal wore off too soon. There wasn’t enough complexity, which is what The Shins had so they actually got better the more you listened.
ReplyDeleteKelly, interesting! Sort of like the 'whole can of Pepsi tastes too sweet' theory.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to look up Kenna (and take a listen) ever since he came up in Blink. I finally did.
ReplyDeleteHe was not what I was expecting!
(Were you expecting that?)
Actually, yeah, it was something close to what I thought it would be. But it was strange that I had never even heard his name before.
ReplyDeleteI listened to tiny clips of Kenna on iTunes and was bored. Do you think he would be better over time, like The Shins?
ReplyDelete