Blink

 

This book I read recently, Blink, is a different kind of book.  Although, it’s not my style, it did make me ponder on a few things pertaining to my business and personal life.  You know those first two seconds when you look at something, anything, and make a snap judgement?  That’s what Blink is about.

Blink analyzes your first impression, which depends on your experiences and environment you live in and this first impression can be changed, or conditioned.  Your first impression can be accurate or inaccurate and here are some ways it can be conditioned: 

1. Thin Slicing:

Coming to a judgement without having lots of information, ON PURPOSE. It is proven that if you have few but key information points in the right context of the situation, you can make a better snap decision that if you have information overload because in the latter case you get sidetracked by irrelevant details.

So, the next time you are shopping around, you may want to store LESS information as long as they are relevant and key pieces of information, before making a buying decision.

2. Removal or Addition of the ‘Prime Effect’:

For example, if you prime people to think like professors before taking a test, or fashionable before buying a dress, more than likely, they will score better or buy your product. If you ask a black person (or other minorities) to fill out their race before the quiz, you can indirectly prime them to score lower on a test.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice:

Practicing exhaustively beforehand will get you in a groove so much that it will sink into your unconscious so when it comes time to make that two second snap judgement, more than likely, it will be correct.