Talking to Strangers

by

Malcolm Gladwell

Myopia Theory was first suggested by psychologists Claude Steele and Robert Josephs. “Myopia” is the official term for nearsightedness. Correspondingly, Myopia Theory proposes that alcohol “narrow[s] our emotional and mental fields of vision.” People under the influence of alcohol, therefore, are more likely to engage in risky behaviors because they have a diminished sense of long-term consequences. Gladwell draws on Myopia Theory to argue that acute alcohol intoxication makes the already complex task of making sense of strangers even more difficult.

Myopia Theory Quotes in Talking to Strangers

The Talking to Strangers quotes below are all either spoken by Myopia Theory or refer to Myopia Theory. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Default to Truth Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

The lesson of myopia is really very simple. If you want people to be themselves in a social encounter with a stranger—to represent their own desires honestly and clearly—they cannot be blind drunk.

Related Characters: Malcolm Gladwell (speaker)
Page Number: 226
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Talking to Strangers LitChart as a printable PDF.
Talking to Strangers PDF

Myopia Theory Term Timeline in Talking to Strangers

The timeline below shows where the term Myopia Theory appears in Talking to Strangers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Eight: The Fraternity Party
Coupling Theory and Context  Theme Icon
...intoxication. It suggested that alcohol was less “an agent of disinhibition” than “an agent of myopia.” (full context)
Coupling Theory and Context  Theme Icon
5. Psychologists Claude Steele and Robert Josephs were the first scientists to propose the “myopia theory," which dictates that alcohol heightens the drinker’s concern for immediate considerations and inhibits their... (full context)