Thursday, October 27, 2005

In The Blink Of An Eye



Rapid cognition. Split second thinking. Snap judgments. Thinking without thinking. Blink.

At the recommendation of a friend, I read the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point. Talk about a page turner … I read it in under a day. Gladwell is a terrific story teller and his subject matter is fascinating.

If you want some cliff notes on what the book is about, I recommend you check out Gladwell's web site.

Gladwell does not write from a Christian worldview. The book is about psychology, and he throws an obligatory bone to naturalism and physicalism. That does not mean Gladwell in his research is not on to something. I happen to think he is. It just means his worldview colors his interpretation and the attributions of his observations. E.g. Gladwell views the ability of the mind to rapidly process information, as a byproduct of evolutionary advance. This is an assumption, of course, and gives Gladwell the aura of scientific respectability. It adds nothing to main thrust of his theory, however, and I did not suffer in slightest by swatting away these appeals to authority.

Moving on.

Gladwell makes a compelling case that the mind can rapidly process clues and make snap judgments that in some cases are pretty accurate.

The upside is that we can learn to "thin-slice" with great reliability. Thin-slicing is making inferences on the thinnest of data samples. The advantage is of course speed ... providing your quick read on things is accurate. Why waste time doing due diligence if you can get the right answer in one-tenth the time?

The downside is that our thin-slicing can run amok. We make unconscious judgments that are bogus. We reach the wrong conclusion and sometimes are not even aware of our faulty reasoning. When our unconscious mind gets a brain cramp, it can get deadly and fast. Gladwell tells a story of a shooting in the Bronx where all the wrong decisions were made in the course of seven seconds. The result was four distraught cops and one very bullet riddled, innocent man ... a sad case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The cops emptied two and half clips from their semi-automatic handguns. Forty-one bullets later they discovered their mistake … oops.

Gladwell introduces some sticky terms and expressions that I plan to annex into my vocabulary.
  • Blink : the process of rapid cognition.
  • Thin-slice : drawing inferences on scant data samples
  • The Warren Harding error : drawing a false conclusion based on appearances.
  • Mind-blindness : a temporary autism of the unconscious mind which creates blind spots.
  • White-space : the distance between a target and a potential assailant
The next step in processing this book is to cogitate and integrate. I am going to give Gladwell the benefit of the doubt. Let's assume his research is correct. What would it mean to acknowledge that our mind has the capacity to influence and control our actions in a split second? Where does this leave us vulnerable? How does this integrate with the doctrine of total depravity? Is thin-slicing a euphemism for prejudging? Is blinking something that can be harnessed for use in a redemptive way?

Thinking about it ... consciously ;-)

6 Comments:

At 9:47 AM, Blogger Jen's World said...

I found this book to be quite entertaining and interesting. I also didn't get caught up in his aura of scientific respectability. Instead, I read his case that the mind processes data rapidly and in the study of all things human - its a common error we all make to thin-slice and prejudge. I found your question "How does it integrate with the concept of total depravity?" one that I've been musing over in many arenas of life. In some ways, I've recently been compelled to wholeheartedly agree with King Solomon who once said everything is useless. So we study the thin-slice phenom. Does this help us the next time we pre-judge someone? No, because we've already judged them. But it may make us slower to realize our frailties and shortcomings. As a Christian, it reminds me of the scripture that says "Let God be true and every man a liar." No matter how advanced our minds may get - some call it evolution - others through overcoming difficult mental barriers - I find that I can only proclaim a future kingdom coming. So your question as to whether this can be used for good. I think so although again I find that the heart of man returns to base nature. Being aware of this and being desirous to be more like Jesus makes a difference, I think.

 
At 1:44 PM, Blogger Michael A. Taylor said...

Could it be that the world (man) has stumbled upon rudimentary discernment. I mean, spiritual discernment. Not that man can have spiritual discernment without the Holy Spirit, he cannot. But, before the Fall man was created in HIS image. Could it be that our DNA, the way GOD wired us, is this ability to quickly discern information? With the help of the Holy Spirit all believer's have spiritual discernment. Has not out Enemy masked quite well our ability to properly discern good from evil? To discern a good choice from a better choice? To discern evil in a situation. Why would our Enemy not want us to discern? We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). How can we resist him if we cannot 'see' (discern) his movements? Read Hebrews 5:14. The church needs to learn discern. In Blink, the world is catching on, but it will be in Man's strength. We must call on the Holy Spirit to teach us more discernment.

 
At 11:04 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Gladwell tells a story of a shooting in the Bronx where all the wrong decisions were made in the course of seven seconds

 
At 8:21 AM, Anonymous The Soul Journey said...

I like your concept of trying to engage with contemporary culture from a christian point of view. Another site that does this - in their case - through the use of a "spirituality test" is http:/www.the-spiritual-journey.org/

Capitalising on people's desire to learn more about themselves and the popularity of personality tests this site provides an personalised apologetic to the participant. Try the Spirituality Test

 
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