Review: ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Why does almost everyone take out their phones at concerts nowadays? Daniel Kahneman would suggest it’s because they are trying to prime their “remembering self,” what they will remember, rather than their “experiencing self,” what they actually experience.

This book is another MUST READ – on the level of Nudge (one of my favorites). Daniel Kahneman breaks down how we process thoughts, questions, and scenarios. To simplify his explanations and to help us understand why we make some fundamental errors, he begins by outlining two “systems” of the mind. System 1 is quick, operates automatically, and requires minimal effort. What’s 2 +2? That’s System 1. System 2 requires more effort and is inherently lazy but gets involved when we need more “mental juice.” Name two highlights you had over each of the last three years. System 2 is doing the work there. As he goes through scenario after scenario to point out some fundamental flaws, Daniel Kahneman invokes the relationship between the two systems as the cause of many of our inherent errors. For example, because System 2 is effortful and lazy, we often substitute more challenging questions for easier ones so that System 1 can answer them. Ex. “How are you these days?” is often replaced by “How are you right now?” This is important because we aren’t thinking everything through as thoroughly as possible.

To Buy – click here.

Supplemental:

Hidden Brain. 03/12/18. Think Fast with Daniel Kahneman; Type: Podcast

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parish. 10/15/2019. Daniel Kahneman: Putting Your Intuition on Ice; Type: Podcast