Have you ever said something you didn't mean to a loved one in the heat of a moment?
Or made a decision that you looked back on and thought, "What in the world was I thinking?"
If you said yes to either of those, chances are you could benefit from putting a leash on your dog, a concept derived from Daniel Kahneman's Thinking and Fast and Slow. If not, please consider coming back down to Earth and gracing us plebeians with your presence.
Thinking Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman is an economics Nobel Prize winner for his work in decision making. He bridged the gap between psychology and economics, and effectively challenged the status quo of utility theory. He has published numerous articles featured in top economics journals and has worked around the globe in conjunction with many leading behavioral psychologists. Needless to say, this guy understands people and what guides their decisions. In Thinking Fast and Slow, Kahneman discusses the concept of our brains having two different operating systems when it comes to judgments and choice.
The Two System Party
These systems are conveniently named System 1 and System 2. System 1 is what we would generally consider intuition while System 2 is essentially critical thinking. A quick comparison of the two Systems is shown below.
When operating/making decisions in a System 1 mindset, the brain likes to form stories that are easily influenced by emotion. This is our preferred mode to function in. Our inherent System 1 preference is largely due to the cognitive strain we experience when we operate in System 2; ergo we generally feel more pleasure and energized when operating from System 1. This may sound great, but operating from System 1 without regulation from System 2 results in heuristics when encountering difficult questions and decisions. Heuristic is another way of saying a way our brains find a solution to a problem that is good enough from a biological perspective, but is not perfect. This is especially the case with our brains in statistical applications. Some notable heuristics include: the availability, affect, and representativeness heuristics; the certainty, halo, and endowment effects; and the conjunction fallacy.
Another important characteristic of System 1 is its inability to be switched on and off because it is an ongoing unconscious process. An example of this is how we relate to the Müller-Lyer illusion.
The two images are identical, with the exception of the vertical lines on the right, illustrating that the two horizontal lines are the same length.
Most of us instinctively think the top line looks longer, even if we know this isn’t true. Because we intuitively view the lines in the left image as different lengths even though the right image informs us otherwise, we can see that System 1 is always actively generating perceptions of our surroundings. In order to prevent ourselves from believing the naivete of our System 1, we must regulate ourselves with the effortful thinking associated with System 2.
Who's a Good Boy?
Understanding abstractions like the way we make decisions doesn't always come very naturally, so I have created an analogy that may help with comprehension of this two system theory.
A healthy relationship between Systems 1 and 2 is a lot like the relationship between a puppy and a good caretaker. Puppies are very emotional animals and they don't know what's best for themselves.
If the puppy could wear the pants in this relationship, it would run around hurting itself and others. A puppy thinks a chocolate bar is a tasty treat or that biting the mailman is doing God's work, because it simply doesn't know any better. Similarly, the quick intuition of System 1 whispers to us that a sandwich made of bacon and glazed donuts would make for a great breakfast, or that your partner is cheating on you because she said the word "trust" in an odd tone.
Don't let this guy tell you what to do
It would be a tragic mistake to allow a puppy to decide if it should eat some chocolate. Similarly, leaving our System 1 to make unchecked decisions and catastrophize the world around us would be disastrous for our health. Hello obesity and anxiety. Not only does an overreliance on system 1 lead to unhealthy behaviors, but it can also damage our relationships. A friend wouldn't come around much if your dog kept biting him, and similarly, your partner won't be around much longer if you keep burdening the relationship with your insecurities. For the sake of our health and relationships, the use of our rational System 2 is essential.
A puppy can be a great source of joy or frustration, depending on how well you train it. Nobody likes it when the dog shits on the floor, so a good owner will use discipline to put an end to intolerable behavior. When we take our metaphorical shit on the floor, be it losing our temper with loved ones or eating ourselves to a slow and painful death, System 2 is needed to discipline ourselves away from bad habits. This is primarily because habitual behavior is our default mode of operation and produces low amounts of cognitive strain. Thus, the slow and effortful thinking of System 2 is necessary to break the status quo of our habits. With the help of System 2, we can leash our metaphorical puppy, as opposed to letting it do as it pleases, to create a healthier and more meaningful life for ourselves. However, putting a leash on an untrained puppy can be much easier said than done.
Who doesn't love a well-trained dog?
Walking the Dog
So how can we get a better handle on our intuition to prevent it from driving all of our decisions? Below are a couple techniques I have found to be helpful in assessing my thoughts.
Start Journaling
Our emotional states are frequently difficult to articulate, but the practice of writing about them can translate what we are feeling into a form System 2 can understand: language. System 2 can help us become fully aware of what our intuition is telling us, including why we have certain intuitions and whether they are rational. I personally have found writing to help me have a better handle on my inner puppy, and studies suggest writing may help with well-being, specifically in those with anxiety and depression. Many people don't like writing because it brings up painful memories of writing assignments from school, but I think it's worth giving the ol' college try.
I promise it won't be like studying for finals
Writing also isn't always the most attractive solution because it requires effort on our part, but that's kind of the point: mental effort is a catalyst to put us into the mindset of the vigilant caretaker.
Go for a Walk
Going for a walk outside is a great way to process your thoughts and get some much needed vitamin D. Many great thinkers including Einstein and Marcus Aurelius advocated for walking to assist with critical thinking. Modern research has also emphasized the links between physical movement and learning, an essential prerequisite for maintaining healthy cognitive functionality. It may be tempting to put some music in while going for a walk, but I would recommend walking without any external stimulation. This forces us to think about things we wouldn’t have a chance to think about while being distracted. Brains require stimulation, and if this doesn’t come from external sources, our thoughts will generate a solution. Best-selling author Ryan Holiday makes a highly acclaimed argument that Stillness is the Key.
Conclusions
In order to make decisions that will be good for us and help us feel like we are living a meaningful life, it requires effort to harmonize the best parts of our intuitive and logical thinking systems.
If we want to practice making good decisions, it is essential to treat our emotional System 1 like a puppy that we are responsible for taking care of, which calls for discipline.
However, if we don’t want to have a miserable puppy, we should let it have some freedom to run around every once in a while.
Good harmony of Systems 1 and 2 looks like this