#52 (whoa!): Blink by Malcom Gladwell

Here is what I love most about the human brain: it is the only organ that has the ability to understand itself. In other words, we need our brain to understand our brain. Blink puts this into perspective by using examples in which our brain, or unconscious, acts and then we later have to make sense of it. Gut instinct plays a huge role in our everyday actions, but we hardly notice it. Why is that? Gladwell argues that we should use our conscious to learn about these situations and then interpret them for later use. If we hone in on the skills of our unconscious, we can then become more aware of our surroundings. Some people are better at this than others, but everyone has the ability to train their initial reactions to things like lying, violence, love, and art. As I get older, I have come to trust my instinct more than my intellect, but I now realize that those two things are often one in the same. The brain is a powerful mechanism that works even when we don’t realize it. So, acknowledge its beauty and allow it to do its job. 

Side note: After reading Blink, I have a huge non-fiction crush on Malcom Gladwell. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with this guy?