6 Lessons That I Learned From Thinking Fast and Slow
Two systems drive the way we think and make choices.
“If there is time to reflect, slowing down is likely to be a good idea.” ― Daniel Kahneman
There are many books on psychology in the market today and one of the most famous ones is Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow".
This bestseller book is a must-read for anyone who desires to improve their mental performance. The book is full of interesting studies and teaches you how to strategize effectively, think faster and make better decisions.
Daniel Kahneman was one of Princeton University's most renowned professors of psychology. Moreover, he received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in the year 2002.
This was one of the first books that I read on decision-making and human judgment. I’ve since read dozens of books on the topic, but I would still say that it is the best I’ve ever read.
6 Lessons That I Learned From Thinking Fast and Slow
1. Human beings have two ways of thinking
“The automatic operations of System 1 generate surprisingly complex patterns of ideas, but only the slower System 2 can construct thoughts in an orderly series of steps.” ― Daniel Kahneman
The main idea of the book is that human beings have two ways of processing our thoughts which Kahneman introduces as system 1 (thinking fast) and system 2 (thinking slow). These two types of thinking make up our subconscious and conscious minds.
System 1 - thinking is a near-instantaneous process; it happens automatically, intuitively, and with little effort. It’s driven by instinct and our experiences.
System 2 - thinking is slower and requires more effort. It is conscious and logical.
Despite trying to be rational, our System 1 beliefs and biases often influence our decisions. Recognizing how these two systems operate in our lives can make us more conscious of bias in our choices and empower us to overcome it.
2. The most profound events in your life are unpredictable
“The world in our heads is not a precise replica of reality; our expectations about the frequency of events are distorted by the prevalence and emotional intensity of the messages to which we are exposed.” ― Daniel Kahneman
Many of us believe that luck or destiny shapes our lives, but in reality, most major events aren't governed by these forces.
Take the birth and upbringing of great leaders—they were unpredictable. No one foresaw these children becoming world leaders. So, don't cling too tightly to concrete plans.
Life is unpredictable; anything can happen at any time. Focus on living each moment fully. By doing so, you'll enhance your mental and physical well-being.
3. Recognize your gullibility and protect yourself
“A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth. Authoritarian institutions and marketers have always known this fact.” ― Daniel Kahneman
Human beings are gullible by nature. According to Professor Kahneman, when we hear something repeatedly, we're inclined to accept it as true. This happens because our brains struggle to differentiate between what's familiar and what's accurate.
Marketers and authoritative institutions exploit this tendency. It's amplified by the principle of familiarity: if a statement is repeated often enough, we're likely to believe it, along with anything said afterward.
Fortunately, the author of this book offers a remedy: practice thinking slowly (system 2) to critically evaluate repetitive information you encounter. This way, you can guard against being misled by the wrong information and think for yourself.
4. We are capable of fooling ourselves
"The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even if they see little." ― Daniel Kahneman
The human mind is fascinating because it can deceive itself. When we make decisions, we often bias them to fit our familiar patterns, a common trait of our quick-thinking system. This bias feels like intuition, guiding us to what seems like the right choice.
Even those with scientific training can fall into this trap. For instance, psychologists sometimes determine sample sizes based solely on intuition, rather than calculation. This can lead to flawed results, despite their expertise.
So, when relying on intuition, it's essential to assess whether we're neglecting established procedures. Always scrutinize your decisions to ensure you're not unwittingly steering yourself wrong.
5. We can be blind to the obvious and also blind to our blindness
“We're blind to our blindness. We have very little idea of how little we know. We're not designed to know how little we know.” ― Daniel Kahneman
According to Daniel Kahneman, it is possible to be looking directly at a situation and completely miss something obvious. To prove this, he cites an experiment that was conducted by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris.
In their study, participants were asked to watch a basketball game and count the passes made by the team in white uniforms. As the game unfolded, a person in a gorilla suit entered the court, performed some antics, and left.
Surprisingly, when asked afterwards, the participants focused on counting passes and claimed they hadn't seen anything unusual. It wasn't until they rewatched the game without the task of counting passes that they noticed the gorilla.
This experiment demonstrates how our focus on one detail can blind us to other obvious things happening around us. It also highlights our tendency to overlook our blindness. To overcome this, Professor Kahneman advises taking a broader perspective when analyzing situations, allowing us to see the truth more clearly.
6. Be wary of overconfidence
"When people believe a conclusion is true, they are also very likely to believe arguments that appear to support it, even when these arguments are unsound." ― Daniel Kahneman
Confirmation bias is a common trait in human beings. It means we tend to let our confidence sway our decision-making, even when it's not entirely rational. While being hopeful about what lies ahead is good, we shouldn't let that optimism cloud our judgment in the present.
When we fall into this trap, we rely too much on our gut instincts, known as system 1 (fast thinking), and project recent positive experiences onto the immediate future. This often leads to serious errors in judgment.
For instance, overconfidence can drive us to take unreasonable risks. If these risks don't pay off, the consequences can be severe. Professor Kahneman warns us to rein in our overconfidence before it pushes us into decisions we'll later regret.
Thank you for reading!
Best,
Writer l Speaker l CEO of Living Your Greatness
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