Summary Of Gladwell's Emotional Contagion

Contagious Emotions, Chapter 2, pages 84-86 Gladwell packs a lot of information into Chapter 2, explaining the characteristics of Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. The first two terms are a bit unfamiliar, but the third is something that every reader can identify immediately: a Salesman. However common a Salesman may seem, Gladwell breaks open the unexplored makeup of these persuasive personas and expands on their traditional image, explaining the reasons why successful Salesmen have their customers eating out of the palms of their hands.
He utilizes the research of psychologists Elaine Hatfield and John Cacioppo and their book, Emotional Contagion, incorporating their theory that there are certain people in the world who have an innate ability
In order to strengthen his point after dropping the bomb of the Rule of 150, Gladwell shifts his discussion towards how people remember things in day-to-day life. He explains University of Virginia psychologist Daniel Wegner’s concept of transactive memory, the idea that “when people know each other well, they create an implicit joint memory system — a transactive memory system — which is based on an understanding about who is best suited to remember what kinds of things” (188). Gladwell describes the relationships between couples, spouses, and families, exploring the dynamics between each relationship and displaying the existence of transactive memory among each group. By including this concept, Gladwell provides a familiar and universal example of how people are connected to one another. Every reader can relate to the concept of transactive memory, strengthening Gladwell’s explanation of the Power of Context and persuading readers to acknowledge it within their own
We have been a functioning unit for so long that I never thought twice about our connections; Gladwell opened my eyes to how we rely on one another’s brains to survive. My mom knows where absolutely anything is in the house and is an expert on the best time to go Christmas shopping; my brother knows the most efficient way to mow our obnoxiously-shaped lawn and is the go-to guru when we need someone to set up the DVD player; my sister is an expert organizer and connoisseur regarding the restaurants in Omaha with the best french fries; I am the keeper of mass times and master of the family calendar. My mom would never try to remember how to work the DVD player, my brother would never try to remember what church has what mass—each of us carries our weight in the family, and we all expect one another to do the