The First Two Seconds

We are taught to never judge a book by its cover, that the more information we gather the better the outcome of our analysis.

Malcolm Gladwell uses this example of the different impressions art historians had on a piece of art. This certain statue did not have the similarities that the others did in the collection. The museum that purchased this statue overlooked this fact because it was such an extraordinary find. One art historian however, took one glance at the statue and knew it did not look right.

I found it interesting how a two second glance could beat out a conclusion made from months of careful research. It does not seem logical that snap judgments can be more effective than well thought out decisions.

In my two second judgment, this is what Blink is all about. It’s about our adaptive unconscious and the power it holds. What Gladwell is saying with the statue example is our conscience judgment can be thrown off track by what we want to believe. The museum wanted the statue to be real, so they looked only for evidence that supported this point. But just because you want it to be true does not make it so.

Gladwell takes this theory and explains further that our internal computer can be disabled by emotions, but just like thinking logically and deliberately, we can learn to make better snap judgments. Gladwell states, “The power of knowing, in that first two seconds, is not a gift given magically to a fortunate few. It is an ability that we can cultivate for ourselves.” (pg. 16)

I completely agree with Gladwell that more attention should be paid to the details that make up the big picture. However, I do not think we should throw away the old ways of generalizing and analyzing; we should incorporate the new in with the old to produce a happy medium that satisfies both extremes.