“It is not enough simply to explore the hidden recesses of our unconscious. Once we know about how the mind works – and about the strengths and weaknesses of human judgment – it is our responsibility to act.”
The Lesson of Chancellorsville
In the Civil War battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate general Robert E. Lee was surrounded and outnumbered by Union general Joe Hooker. Hooker had more men, more weapons, better positioning and better information. He was even using hot air balloons to spy on his enemies.Yet, when the time came for battle, Lee – much like Paul Van Riper – did not act in a predictable manner. No, Lee acted as if he had the advantage, which made Hooker second-guess himself. In the end, in spite of their favorable situation, the Union turned and ran.
Paul Van Riper’s War
Paul Van Riper, a student of military history, was very interested in the battle for Chancellorsville.Van Riper taught Gladwell that it is only possible to act quickly and intelligently after one has attained an immense amount of experience and education. This was evident in the battle of Chancellorsville. “Chancellorsville came down to some ineffable, magical decision-making ability that Lee possessed and Hooker did not…It’s the kind of wisdom that someone acquires after a lifetime of learning and watching and doing." This echoes Gladwell’s earlier point that with expertise comes better snap judgments.
Hooker’s other problem was that he had too much information. He knew that Lee was outnumbered, surrounded and in a bad position. So, when Lee did not act like a man on the brink of defeat, Hooker out-thought himself and decided that there was something he was missing. If Hooker did not know that Lee was in trouble, he would have fought the battle and won.
Gladwell argues that Hooker had a lot of knowledge, but was lacking in understanding – something that happens too often in today’s information-rich world.
When to Blink – And When to Think
According to Gladwell, we should not rely only on our instincts or our rational analysis of situations. We need to find a balance between the two. Here Gladwell offers a “partial answer”: “On straightforward choices, deliberate analysis is best. When questions of analysis and personal choice start to get complicated – when we have to juggle many different variables – then our unconscious thought process may be superior." In other words, for small decisions think the answer through rationally. But, when making a large, complicated decision, use your instincts.A Call to Action
The most powerful story from this book, in Gladwell’s opinion, is the story of Abbie Conant and the Munich Philharmonic. “I’m drawn to it for a very simple reason: the classical music world had a problem – and they fixed it." This is the final point of Blink: we have the power to change – for the better – the ways in which our snap judgments are affected. Gladwell believes that we have a responsibility to act on this power and, if we do, the world can be a better place.