How often do you make a quick assumption about a person you just met? Why are first impressions so important? And can humans really detect liars? Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers gives all the answers and more to why we act a certain way around strangers. Through the use of real world examples, Gladwell discusses human’s natural reaction to believe what others say (which isn’t always the best option), how we react when people don’t act how we think they should and so much more.
Gladwell discusses how humans naturally assume everyone tells the truth. It isn’t until there is enough reasonable doubt that we only start to suspect that people are lying. Even then many get fooled. That’s not to say that people should start to always assume others are lying. If that was the case the world would be just one giant game of Clue; constant suspicion and accusations. Instead, Gladwell emphasizes the importance of looking into things and separating yourself from the problem at hand.
As an aspiring PR professional, Talking to Strangers really spoke to me. After reading stories about judges making snap decisions, criminals getting one over on CIA agents and miscommunication resulting in a prison sentence; I reevaluated how I interact with strangers. Knowing your clientele and the strangers you’re attempting to reach is one of the most important things in PR. Trying to figure out and understand strangers is the essential job of any PR professional.
But how do you do that when each person is unique? Talking to Strangers emphasizes the importance of not making assumptions about others. Rather than assuming consumers will act one way or another to a specific advertisement, it’s so important to take time to research, survey and interview consumers to hear exactly what they want. Misreading strangers is so easy to do, the only way to avoid that is by befriending your consumers.
Charlotte Maracina 