Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In Blink, Gladwell discusses a concept he coins as “the Warren Harding Error.”

• What is the Warren Harding Error and how does it exemplify the primary ideas of the book? (topic sentence)
• How does the Warren Harding Error demonstrate how Fast-and-Frugal Thinking Can Go Wrong?
• In your conclusion, explain how the Warren Harding Error can be overcome, citing examples that Gladwell offers up in Blink, in addition to your own unique suggestions.

2. The first principle Gladwell advises in improving the use of Fast-and-Frugal Thinking is, simply, to use it.

• Why is it important to hone Fast-and-Frugal Thinking skills? (topic sentence)
• What are two ways to Improve Fast-and-Frugal Thinking, as discussed by Gladwell in the text?
• In your conclusion, reiterate why it is important to Improve Fast-and-Frugal Thinking and share a few ways you might develop and improve Fast-and-Frugal Thinking in your own life.

3. The vast majority of human beings have relied on their intuition and/or instincts at some point in their lives.

• What is a time when you just knew, for no apparent reason, that something unusual was about to happen? (topic sentence)
• What was it about that moment that put you on alert? Describe the moment in detail (the physical sensations, the circumstances preceding it, etc.), and explain how your experience relates to Gladwell’s discussion of Fast-and-Frugal Thinking.
• In your conclusion, offer some ways in which you might be able to sharpen your own intuition/instincts, using the tactics Gladwell describes in the book.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Chapter 6 of Blink chronicles the tragic death of Amadou Diallo. What was the nature of the tragedy that happened with Diallo? Describe the details of the case— what was the crime, who were the victims, what was the jury’s verdict—and explain how Gladwell connected this case to the theme of how Fast-and-Frugal Thinking Can Be Improved. In this contentious case, who do you believe is ultimately right, and why?

2. General Robert E. Lee and Marine commander Paul Van Riper each defeat superior forces by turning their opponents’ apparent mental advantages into weaknesses. How are Lee and Riper’s strategies similar? How are they different? Explain each leader’s strategy, why it is effective, and how both Lee and Riper’s tactics relate to How Fast-and-Frugal Thinking Serves Humanity.

3. As described in the book’s Conclusion, music directors have been known to make poor and/or biased judgments when selecting new members for their orchestra. What examples does Gladwell offer up as evidence of this? How and why do “blind auditions” reduce bias in hiring decisions made by symphony orchestras? In your essay, be sure to mention the concept of “thin-slicing” and its relation to how Fast-and-Frugal Thinking can, if not careful, have a harmful effect.