Afterword

Afterword

blink has given me much to think about in relation to my own actions and that of others. Ultimately, I conclude that we all would like to be expert thin slicers as this is necessary in perhaps every field I can think of as well as for daily living. However, "being able to act intelligently and instinctively in the moment is possible only after a long and rigorous course of education and experience." While I do not expect my GED students to leave my classroom as experts, I do however, hope that they go more equipped than they arrived. One thing that I can do is to make them more aware of their own unconscious snap judgements so that they have a better awareness of both themselves and others.

Teaching my students to be deep thinkers and observers rather than overwhelming them with information will serve them better, especially when it comes to thin slicing. In today's world we have become inundated with information in such a way that, "we have come to confuse information with understanding." But, the most valuable is to be able to dissect information and use it properly in a situation.

Lessons from blink:

• Education and experience help us to make intelligent and instinctive snap judgements.
• "Understanding the true nature of instinctive decision making requires us to be forgiving of those people trapped in circumstances where good judgement is imperiled."
• Too much information can be damaging "confuse information with understanding."
• When do we trust instincts and when should we rely on analysis? 
• Use practical problem solving

Call to Action: 

"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 judgement- it is our responsibility to act."    

HOW WILL YOU ACT?

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY?