Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know

by Malcolm Gladwell

In "Talking to Strangers", Malcolm Gladwell explores why communication with strangers often leads to misunderstandings.

He tells stories of traffic stops that end in suicide, of false suspicions in murder cases, of asset managers who cheat investors out of billions, and of successful deceptions in the world of intelligence agencies.

People usually assume that they can make a sound judgment about their counterparts in a face-to-face encounter. That's why we meet babysitters and job applicants in person before we hire them. And why judges have defendants appear in person to decide bail applications.

However, numerous studies show that decisions based on facts are often better than those based on face-to-face encounters.

For example, our ability to detect lies is remarkably poor. Our society is based on honest interaction, and therefore, we usually assume that our counterpart is telling the truth ("default to truth" theory). Consequently, it can take years or decades for spies to be unmasked or fraud and abuse cases to be uncovered.

Like any Gladwell book, "Talking to Strangers" combines scientific findings and well-researched, richly detailed interwoven stories, making it a delightful read.

It helps us understand why misunderstandings happen all the time. We can accept our limitations, not blame strangers for unintentional misunderstandings, and show understanding for our fellow human beings when they have been duped into "default-to-truth" mode by malicious strangers.

The German title, by the way, is not a particularly good translation. Gladwell alerts readers to a problem – he doesn't have a solution to it. The English title "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know" is much more appropriate.

🎧 Suitable as an audiobook? Yes, very: Like all Gladwell books, it is read aloud by the author himself. Interviews are included in the original audio rather than being read by the author.

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Genres

Communication Psychology Social Psychology Human Behavior Relationships Critical Thinking