Frinky Mind Science

Many of you may be aware of Malcom Gladwell's best-selling book from last year, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Here is how Amazon describe the book:

"Blink is about the first two seconds of looking -- the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of 'thin slices' of behavior. The key is to rely on our "adaptive unconscious" -- a 24/7 mental valet -- that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea."

Now, new scientific research confirms that snap decisions are often better than considered ones precisely because the longer we take to make a decision the more emotions such as fear, regret, or embarrassment take over and cloud our otherwise clear judgment. That piece of a counter-intuitive wisdom comes from the research of Professor Baba Shiv at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

You read about Shiv's research and conclusions, and you can watch a series of video clips, by going to the Stanford GSB Website. Given how people have come elevate emotions and emotional intelligence as essential to decision making, it's no wonder that he calls the opposite conclusion -- well established across years of research -- "Frinky Mind Science." He got that word from his 7-year-old son, as he tried to name a course that focused on the abnormal ways of the brain. "Frinky," Shiv concluded, captured the essence of those weird conclusions. I encourage you to check it out and read more on your own.

Coaching Inquiries: How long does it take you to make important decisions? How and why do you talk yourself out of certain decisions? What would it take to trust your gut more and to move forward without fear, regret, or embarrassment? Who could assist you to strengthen your willingness to make decisions in the Blink of an eye? We invite you Email Us or to use our Contact Form to arrange for a complimentary coaching conversation with your own LifeTrek coach.