Lisa Tran

AP Language and Composition 3

Mr. Lim

31 August 2015

Ethos in Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell presents the theory that unconscious discrimination is woven into the

shared values of mankind in Blink. The appearance, age, gender, and race of a person determines

how others perceive them. Gladwell argues that a persons initial judgement is inaccurate

compared to the judgments made from a lengthy assessment. He presents his theory using

real-life examples, scientific studies, and supports his justification using ethos. Gladwell tells a

story of Warren Hardings journey becoming the President. Harding is described as

extraordinarily handsome, which cause people to jumped to the conclusion that he is a man of

intelligence and character. This rapid cognition steers people astray when making a decision and

elected the worst President in history. In using real-life examples, the author connects with the

audience, which prompts the audience to agree with the author. The author is credible because

the audience and speaker shares a common ground. Furthermore, Warren supports his argument

by depicting the Implicit Association Test in Blink, to reveal how unconscious attitudes is

inexorable. The Implicit Association Test, automatically measures the institutional levels of

unconscious discrimination. In using scientific studies, this gives the author credibility and

allows the audience to trust the author. In a blink of an eye, one can make a snap judgment about

another person without being aware of the case. Unconscious discrimination is unavoidable.