Malcolm Gladwell Response

Malcolm Gladwell explained really well what unconscious decisions we make and why we don't notice them in his writing. Gladwell's chapter showed me that while sometimes we may not have control over our desicions, we should always think before we act. This really stood out to me when I took the race weapon IAT. When taking the race weapon IAT, I strongly associated weapons with African- Americans, without even trying or thinking. This could lead to problems of me feeling in danger while I'm around black people. Gladwell taught me to rejudge my feelings of danger and to re-evaluate the situation before making any further desicions. Unconscious decisions and biases can also lead to problems in leadership. Leader's might ,unintensionaly, take one side over the other because of a bias. Also leaders can be picked because of a bias. In Gladwell's chapter, he writes about a man who describes a very handsome looking man who looks like he could make a great president. The man turned out to be the worst president ever. This is an example of why we shouldn't act before we judge. A real reason for someone to be president is if that person is understanding, unbiased, and idealistic. Had the man judged him on these attributes, this wouldn't have happened.