Ultimate Guide To Brains-Maxxing Series - Part 4 - 2 Systems To Think Better

Happy Sunday!

Welcome to the 9th edition of The Elevated Mindset!

Today we will be continuing on the Brains-Maxxing series with Part 4 - 2 Systems To Think Better.

Where we'll explore, Nobel Prize awardee, Daniel Kahneman's 2 systems for better decision-making.

Let's dive in! 👇

Estimated Reading Time = 2 minutes

The Two Systems - Simplified

In "Thinking Fast & Slow", Dr. Kahneman dives into the psychology behind how our mind processes & stores information to make decisions. He outlines 2 systems:

✅ System 1: Fast

• Automatic & intuitive

• For split-second decisions

• Survival - avoiding threatening & dangerous situations

• "2+2 = 4 - 1 that's 3 quick math's" (if ykyk) 😂.

• "Cheap" in terms of brain energy

✅ System 2: Slow

• Meticulous & detailed

• 19x25 - takes more time & energy to calculate vs 2+2

• Analytical

• "Expensive" in terms of brain energy

Both systems show where you can & can't trust your gut feelings & how to be more mindful to make better decisions.

Issues With Our Decision Making - The "Fast Trap"

Dr. Kahneman discusses how our biases & emotions impact our decision-making.

Using the fast thinking system is great in intuitive situations to save time & energy. Especially for life-threatening situations.

The issue is when we fall into the trap of using fast thinking for a slow-thinking situation.

Check out a study done by MIT below, it'll make more sense 👇

The MIT Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT)

This test was given by Prof. Shane Fredrick at MIT.

Here is one of its questions:

"A bat & a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat cost a dollar more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?"

Hmmm, let me guess... was your answer 10 cents? (No I do not have telepathic powers 😂).

If so, welcome to the "3,000 club". Where the majority of 3,000 university students gave the wrong answer.

If you took a moment to sit with the problem, you would've realized that the answer is 5 cents.

Wait...what just happened?

Our brain took the easy way & used the fast thinking system in a situation that requires a slow thinking system.

This is not uncommon, people both ordinary & extraordinary make mistakes like this every day by relying on their gut feeling.

The lesson?

Don't always trust the gut, take a moment to analyze all possibilities & perspectives.

Check out the study here

Three Takeaways To Make Better Decisions

Here are my 3 takeaways from "Thinking, Fast & Slow" to help you make better decisions:

✅ Be self-aware & conscious to make more rational decisions vs inherent bias that can lead to errors in judgement

• Take a step back & analyze your environment

✅ Don't be lazy, actually take the time to think things through. Consider a multi- perspective view

• Take a break & sit with the thoughts to properly analyze the full situation

✅ Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement

• Journal to clear your thoughts & feelings to allow yourself to have more clarity

Payal's Pick Of The Week

TL;DR

Think Better & Make Better Decisions

• 2 Systems:

  • Fast - Automatic

  • Slow - Analytical

• Issue: Using fast systems where slow one are suppose to be used

  • CRT Test

• My 3 Takeaways:

  • Be self aware

  • Don't be lazy

  • Don't let emotions cloud judgement

That's a wrap! Thanks for reading! 

Want to read more? Check out my past editions here!

Till next time! 👋

-Payal