Thinking, Fast and Slow (Part 2)

Intro: Undervalued System 1

From the first chapter all the way to the end of the second part, Daniel Kahneman stresses the importance of activating your System 2 to catch slip-ups in your System 1. He has taken care not to call System 1 useless or unnecessary because in really it isn’t. In think book, its flaws and blindspots are brought to attention and that can make it look like something that hinders our maximum mental capabilities but it does the opposite. Instead, I believe it elevates our mind because of its efficiency in working through day-to-day tasks. Your System 1 is the first half of the book’s title: Thinking Fast.

Its ability to make split-second decisions in tense scenarios allows us to react quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, it allows you to go through your day without spending too much energy on System 2, something that will quickly exhaust your brain. Your goals and lifestyle shape your System 1 so that it can do what would take other people’s System 2. It is a System that is learning every day to be better and depending on the way you live your life it will evolve in slightly different ways. Its interpretation of the world and problems is the best way to approach generic problems. Think about how many times you have been truly stumped. Only a few times per day right? Because most of the time your System 1 does the job effortlessly or quickly and appropriately delegates additional work to your System 2.

So even though its flaws may be the only thing you see, don’t let the availability heuristic make it seem flawed.