10/28/2019

When I read some reviews of this book, some were annoyed that there were no ‘answers’ in the book-
that the book left them more confused than when they started it.
And you know what’s funny?- (which goes to show you the nuances of us all)
is THAT is exactly what I LOVED about the book.
I love that during and after reading it, I had SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.
I wanted to discuss so much with others’
It left me ‘in my head for far longer than I usually like to be’

And this excerpt was *one* of my favorites-
Gladwell talks about a study in which every participant was given four letter words with the two middle letters missing,
so think G - - T or M - - S and then each are asked to complete the words with the letter given. When Mr. X completed his set, he was asked by the proctor “what do these words say about you” to which Mr. X would respond- “not much, I feel like the words I came up with were pretty random.”
THEN, when Mr. Y was GIVEN Mr. X list of words- he would begin to make assumptions about him, “he sounds driven, lonely and goal oriented” etc. etc.

BUT when Mr. Y was asked to explain the words HE came up with- he did THE OPPOSITE of what he did to Mr. X’s words- “These words were just the first thing that came to mind- they mean nothing about what I’m dealing with right now”

I liked this portion of the book, b/c we are all so complex, and yet when we judge ourselves we seem to be more lenient (ex. If I’m going slow on a road and people are honking- i want to yell “Oh please be patient, I’m looking for an address of a friend I haven’t seen in 5 years- and don’t want to pass it!”
BUT IF I”M THE ONE BEHIND THE PERSON going slow- I want to yell, “ COME ON MAN! You GOT to be KIDDING ME- WHERE DID YOU LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!?” -Thoughts that are often swirling in my head. What book are you currently reading? Like it? Loathe it?

#mondaymusings #talkingtostrangers