The Hilarious Dance Between Your Two Brains: Who is better and why
I have often asked myself, "How could I have thought about this better?" or "Why did I miss this seemingly small yet key detail right in front of me?"
This article is a tribute to three life-changing books by three of my favourite writers that are dear to me, and I highly recommend them to everyone:
- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Think Again by Adam Grant
- Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Let me start with the summary and the objective of this article in 3 pointers: There are 2 primary systems in our brain, each with its benefits and shortcomings and the key to success is:
- Understanding which system is required for a given task.
- Recognizing their biases and benefits.
- Being able to toggle between the systems as the situation requires.
Our Brain Loves Shortcuts
Our brain loves shortcuts, favouring efficiency over accuracy. System 1, our impulsive and automatic thinking mode, often takes control and leads to quick, intuitive answers. However, these snap judgments can be riddled with errors because System 1 doesn't engage in deep, analytical thinking. System 2, the more deliberate and calculating mode, is responsible for critical thinking and self-control but requires more cognitive effort.
Consider the famous bat-and-ball problem: A bat and a ball together cost $1.10. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? Most people quickly answer $0.10, driven by System 1. But the correct answer, which requires System 2's involvement, is $0.05.
To improve our thinking, we should practice engaging System 2, especially when problems seem deceptively simple. This involves slowing down, questioning initial impressions, and double-checking answers to avoid mental laziness.
Tip #1: Harnessing the power of your environment
Priming occurs when exposure to a word, concept, or event subtly influences our thoughts and actions. Our environment constantly primes us in ways we might not realize, affecting our decisions and behaviours, unconsciously. If you see the word fragment “SO_P” after being primed with the word “EAT,” you’re likely to think of “SOUP.” However, if you were primed with “SHOWER,” you might think of “SOAP.”
The key message here is: To harness the power of priming positively, curate your environment to align with your goals.
My book recommendation on habits and effective surroundings is Atomic Habits by James Clear
"Surround yourself with stimuli that reinforce the habits and behaviours you want to develop" - Atomic Habits
Tip #2: Understanding yourself
We often make judgments based on limited information, leading to errors due to the halo effect and confirmation bias. The halo effect causes us to generalize our positive or negative feelings about one aspect of a person or thing to their entire being. Confirmation bias leads us to seek out information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs.
If you meet someone named Person A at a party and find him easy to talk to, you will create all sorts of positive notions around him in your head and might later recommend him for a job, assuming he’s competent in all areas despite having no evidence to support this.
In the attempt to be fast and efficient, the brain relies on things called Heuristics which are mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making. While more often than not, they can be useful, they often lead to errors when applied inappropriately. Here are a few common heuristics and biases to avoid:
- Substitution heuristic: When we answer an easier question than the one that was actually posed. Often leading to not answering the actual question at all.
- Availability heuristic: We tend to use information that comes to mind quickly and easily when making decisions about the future.
- Optimism bias: This is my personal favourite. We tend to overestimate our likelihood of experiencing positive events and underestimate our likelihood of experiencing negative events.
- Halo effect and Anchoring bias: The halo effect (covered above) is a cognitive bias that claims that positive impressions of people, brands, and products in one area positively influence our feelings in another area, while the anchoring bias is a cognitive bias that causes us to rely heavily on the first piece of information we are given about a topic. This is why we are told when we are young that "Your first impression is your last impression". Rings a bell?
Well there are many such heuristics and biases that we all are guilty of and probably that's what makes us rationally irrational humans.
Summary:
The key message here is: Be aware of biases and actively challenge your perspectives by considering alternative views of others. Take a step back to evaluate the situation more thoroughly. Seek additional information and consider the broader context.
Tip #3: Managing Cognitive Ease and Strain
Our minds use different amounts of energy depending on the task. When there’s no need to mobilize attention and little energy is needed, we are in a state of cognitive ease. Yet, when our minds must mobilize attention, they use more energy and enter a state of cognitive strain.
These changes in the brain’s energy levels have dramatic effects on how we behave.
In a state of cognitive ease, the intuitive System 1 is in charge of our minds, and the logical and more energy-demanding System 2 is weakened. This means we are more intuitive, creative and happier, yet we’re also more likely to make mistakes.
In a state of cognitive strain, our awareness is more heightened, and so System 2 is put in charge. System 2 is more ready to double-check our judgments than System 1, so although we are far less creative, fewer mistakes are made but making us more fatigued.
The key message here is: You can consciously influence the amount of energy the mind uses to get in the right frame of mind for certain tasks. If you want a message to be creative, for example, try promoting cognitive ease.
A great book reference to System 1 and its benefits is: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.
“But there are moments, particularly in times of stress, when haste does not make waste, when our snap judgments and first impressions can offer a much better means of making sense of the world.” - Blink
By understanding the dance between your two brains, you can become a more conscious and effective thinker, well that's the hope at least. So, the next time you're faced with a decision, take a moment to consider – is System 1 trying to pull a fast one, or is System 2 overthinking the situation? With a little practice, you can become the master of your mental processes, not the other way around.
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