Book 230 - A Year of Magical Learning (Part 3/5)

Reflection Title: System 1 is the Real Star of the Show

Book – Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (Part 3 of 5)

Book Description:

In his mega bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, world-famous psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think.

System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation―each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.

Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives―and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble.

Reflection:

This book’s main theme is around how our minds and bodies work together to drive action by thinking fast (called system 1 which is fast, intuitive, and emotional; or thinking slow (called system 2 which is slower, more deliberative, and more logical).

When you read that description of our 2 systems, you probably think System 1 is the problem and system 2 is the solution. If we could figure out a way to live our life with more deliberate, logical, and calculated thought driving our action than life will be a lot better…right? Living life this way is basically the central premise of the philosophy of Stoicism, and to a some extent Buddhism as well. Stoicism for instance teaches its practitioners to develop your system 2 rational brain to better control your emotions and guide your actions to ultimately live a life of flourishing, prosperity, and happiness. This is how I figured the book Thinking, Fast and Slow would shape the narrative as well and encourage our abilities toward “rationality”.

Well, I was wrong. What I learned from the author is that System 2 is cool and all, but System 1 is the real star of the show!

System 1 is incredible.

System 1 is a finely tuned incredible machine that has slowly been learning and developing since the first humans came into existence. We make an ungodly amount of complex “decisions” on the right course of action during the course of any given day that most of us are completely unaware, which is the point. System 1 is the background operating system of our life that just happens and we don’t even know it.

Our bodies, emotions, and internal systems are incredibly complicated. Can you imagine what life would be like if we had to engage our system 2 “rational” brain to do 99.9% of all the activities that we naturally do on any given day? I can, and the result would be that we would never get a single thing accomplished. Our thinking fast system is only fast because evolution has determined over an unfathomable number of tiny actions / trial and error since time began as to what is most likely the best course of action. Now it has slowly refined those results into our unconscious actions that guide 99% of our day. Whether it be the basics of bodily functions of the heart, when to breathe, swallow, digest, or the more advanced actions of emotions, hormones, immunity system, how we communicate, or interact with other living beings; our system 1 knows EXACTLY what to do!

When I think of my system 1, my mind naturally goes to playing tennis. I think about all the incredible math, physics, geometry, strategy, stamina, endurance, emotions, and body movements that go into hitting just 1 single forehand. If I had to individually think about all of this, it would take me 10 years to rationally decide on the best course of action to hit a single shot. Yet, with my system 1 at the wheel, my body and mind can magically combine to hit a 90 mph forehand down the line with pinpoint precision and spin to catch my opponent off guard and win the point. It truly is a site to behold.

Is your system 1 occasionally wrong, sure it is and that is why System 2 exists. There is a place for both, but the longer this journey has gone on, the more respect I’ve gained for my system 1. I like to visualize my system 1 as “my elephant” which I happily stole from the author of The Happiness Hypothesis. That damn elephant is beautiful, and I’m blessed to have him in my life.

We tend to celebrate the little rider on the elephant which symbolizes our system 2 brain in society these days. Yeah, that rider is cool and can help our elephants see some blind spots, but that majestic elephant and its incredible abilities is the real star of the show!

Don’t forget it!

Question: Can you imagine what life would be like if we had to “think slow” about everything we did in a given day?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? - An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman