Thin-Slicing

Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell: "The Theory of Thin Slices"

*This chapter talks a lot about first impressions and judgments.  We all make assumptions.

*A lot of the times we usually take what is on the outside and don't take a look at what someone is like on the inside, Malcolm Gladwell calls this theory thin slicing.

*If people in the world are being 'thin-sliced' or judged by first appearance or impression then one's appearance or personality is what will get them their future job at first, and it is not fair.

*Many times, people only have time for a quick first glance judgment.

*When Tom Hanks did a reading to be cast into a film called Splash, the producers at first did not think he was funny or looked the part.  They 'thin-sliced' or first-glanced him.  When they finally took the time to see past the crust and look inside of him and see more of who he was they decided he was the perfect fit for the part.  If Tom Hanks hadn't of gotten this role he may not have been famous.

*You never know where judged people would be today if they were not judged.

*This doesn't happen to everyone though and a lot of times people do not get jobs or opportunities they want to do being judged by others based on first impression.

*To see who someone really is, you need to restrict yourself from all judgments and see what the person applying for a position or job that will ultimately define his future is really like on the inside.

*People being 'thin-sliced' controls the outcome of their future.  If they do not have a good interview and first impression with an employer they will not get a job and therefore not have money to take care of themselves or their families and it will affect how they live for the rest of their lives.
*Sometimes people need to think fast though.  For example, if military officers did not think fast our country's safety would be in jeopardy

In this chapter, Malcolm Gladwell argues that people make judgments and decisions based on first impressions.   He calls this theory 'thin-slicing'.  One example of thin slicing that Gladwell includes in the chapter is the story of Tom Hanks, who was judged when he first auditioned for a leading movie role and did not get the job at first until the producers looked beneath the surface and saw more of his personality.  Also, Gladwell tells us that military officers use the power of first glance to make decisions in the battlefield.  Finally, Gladwell tells us that you need to know someone for a few months before you can make a judgment and say you truly know them.  These ideas remind me of a TV show called The Voice, where to eliminate judges' prejudice based on appearance, singers are not seen and only judged based on their sole voice.