We all make ‘snap’ decisions now and then, but some of us get better results than others. The quality of our decisions depends on both our experiences, and our factual knowledge. With a variety of fascinating anecdotes, Gladwell explains how those quick decisions are made. He also urges us to recognize the power of rational analysis WITH instinctive judgement and its potential to change not just individuals and society. Two things stood out for me:
- How, once major orchestras started putting a screen in front of applicants that more women were hired because orchestra maestros had let their initial impressions (of their eyes) confirm their pre-existing beliefs that women did not have the strength or stamina for orchestral performance; and
- The whole chapter entitled “Seven Seconds in the Bronx: The Delicate Art of Mind Reading” about a police shooting and death of an innocent civilian in the Bronx especially in the wake of George Floyd’s killing last year. I have to wonder if the officers involved in Floyd’s death had read this book if they might have paused to check or reconsider their first impressions.