Psychology Archives

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

What is Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink about? What can Gladwell teach you about decision-making? In his book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005), Malcolm Gladwell argues that snap decisions made on the fly could be as good as decisions made through deliberate, rational thinking. Blink delves into how and why we make the gut decisions we do, when it’s unsafe to trust our guts, and what we can do to make all our snap judgments smarter, less biased, and more efficient. Here’s an overview of Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

How Does Intuition Work?—Understanding the 6th Sense

How to Visualize the Life You Want to Have in 3 Steps

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew the right thing to do but couldn’t explain why or how you arrived at that knowledge? How does intuition work? Intuition is a concept that seems obscure and mysterious because we don’t understand the mechanics behind it. But just because we can’t pinpoint the exact chain of reasoning behind an intuitive judgment or decision does not mean intuition is a fluke. Keep reading to learn how intuition works.

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Business

Do you have trouble setting standards for happiness in your company? How can you use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for your business? Surprisingly, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs doesn’t just apply to the behavior and motivation of humans. It can also imply three layers of happiness that business owners should keep in mind when thinking about employees and customers. Keep reading to learn how former CEO of Zappos Tony Hsieh transformed the hierarchy of needs into business standards.

Predicting Divorce: Signs to Look Out For

Is it possible to predict divorce? What are the most telling signs the relationship won’t last? The signs of an impending divorce are often evident from casual interactions of partners, even at the beginning of a relationship. Psychologist John Gottman has identified these signs by conducting observations of interactions of couples, predicting divorce with impressive accuracy. Here’s what he found.

Blink: The Psychology of Snap Judgments

How accurate are snap judgments? What are the dangers inherent in making snap judgments—sizing up a situation based on superficial information, without much conscious deliberation? Snap judgments can go wrong for a few reasons: First, we can be overly superficial when making a judgment. Second, we can fail to recognize when our conscious and unconscious attitudes don’t match, which leads us to make decisions that are inconsistent with our conscious beliefs. And third, we’re far more susceptible to the effects of priming than we think. Learn about the psychology of snap judgments and how they can go wrong.

Interpreting Art: Why Do We See What We See?

What factors are at play when we’re interpreting art? Why do different people see art in different ways? Images are inherently subjective—our experiences and beliefs influence what we see. When we look at visual art, we often place ourselves within images, which influences how we interpret their meaning. Keep reading to learn more about the factors that influence the way we interpret art.

Blink Quotes by Malcolm Gladwell (With Analysis)

Are you looking for Blink quotes by Malcolm Gladwell? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? We usually think of snap judgments as lazy, superficial, and probably wrong. But are they really? In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell argues that snap judgments can be just as good as—or even better than—the decisions that we make when we analyze a situation carefully. Below is a selection of quotes from Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.

The Power of Snap Decisions: Decide, Don’t Think

How do we make snap decisions? In what circumstance is it a good idea to make a snap decision, trusting your gut? Snap decisions are made on the fly—unconsciously, without rational deliberation. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. According to Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, in some circumstances, it’s better to decide on the fly than to deliberate on how to proceed. Keep reading to learn about the power of snap decision-making, why some snap decisions are better than others, and how to make better snap decisions.

Narrative Fallacy: Rationalizing the Irrational

What is a narrative fallacy? Why do we have such a strong urge to rationalize our decisions and behavior through narrative? A narrative fallacy is the tendency to explain random or irrational decisions, events, and behavior with coherent stories. The narrative fallacy is a form of rationalizing: We tend to feel that there’s a rational reason for everything we do. When we don’t know why we’ve made a certain decision, we make up a coherent narrative about how we arrived at it. Learn about the narrative fallacy, why it occurs, and how to counteract it.

What Is the Difference Between Nude and Naked in Art?

What is the difference between nude and naked when it comes to art? What deeper meanings do nudity and nakedness symbolize? Not all naked paintings are nudes. According to art critic John Berger, to be naked is to be yourself and to be seen by others for who you are—it’s vulnerability and honesty. To be nude, on the other hand, is to hide oneself and be seen by others as an object—usually for sexual fantasy. Keep reading to learn about three key distinctions between nude and naked.