Assignment 27A

Reading Reflection No. 3

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

• 1.) What was the general theme or argument of the book? Kahneman describes how the two systems in the brain are constantly fighting over control of behavior and actions. System One controls automatic and impulsive decisions while System Two controls conscious and considerate decisions. He also introduces the many ways that this constant battle leads to errors in memory and judgement. He concludes with how you can minimize these errors. 
• 2.) How did the book connect with and enhance what I am learning in ENT3003? For many assignments in this course, a great deal of thinking is required. Surface level evaluations are not enough to answer the questions that we are tasked with. Through learning about the two systems in my brain that are always fighting over control, I can better understand how this could cause errors in my judgement. After learning about this, I was able to slow down my thinking process and answer assignment questions in more detail throughout this course. My favorite quote from the book reads "Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it". This quote stuck out to me because in life and throughout this course, the swirling tornado of thoughts in my head seemed important while I was thinking about them. But as I started thinking about other things, the importance of previous thoughts dwindled. 
• 3.) If I had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book I read, what would this exercise involve? I would give the students a math problem and see how they answer it. Those that answered quickly most likely used System One to draw a quick conclusion. Those that took longer to answer most likely used System Two to answer. I would then explain to the students the difference between the two systems of the brain and how they affected their decision making. After explaining this, I would suggest a few strategies for knowing when to use System One and when to use System Two. 
• 4.) What was my biggest surprise or 'aha' moment while reading the book? What did I learn that differed from expectations? My biggest 'aha' moment was when I connected my way of thinking to this dual process way of thinking illustrated in this book. Often, when faced with a math problem, I reach an answer relatively quickly, but when I check my work later, I find that I got the wrong answer. My System One thought that it could handle problem but it needed System Two to help answer the question thoroughly. I thought that this book was just going to mention tips on how to slow down your brain. But instead, Kahneman described the background of our thinking habits and patterns to give the reader a better understanding of why we think and behave the way we do.