20240808_ThinkingFast&Slow_pen
A Tale of 2 Systems
Daniel Kahneman theorizes that each of us comprise of two systems of thinking.
Meet System 1; the impulsive, quick-acting agent that interprets its surroundings based on its superficial understanding.
And then there's System 2; the effortful, slow-acting agent that analyses each situation with a necessary focus of attention and provides insightful conclusions.
This isn't to say that System 1's instinctive actions are negative just because they are based on emotions, thus leading to imperfect results. After all, the routing by System 1 is particularly useful for all time-sensitive decision-making, and situations that require constant vigilance.
But the problems we deal with in the 21st century or no longer as simple as fight/flight scenarios. System 1's throughput may lead to incomplete and even inconsistent results when compared with the reality of any encounter.
Scenario A: A speeding cab driver uses his quick instincts to swerve out of the way of a motorbike who brakes suddenly on the highway.
Scenario B: A cruising cab driver casually steers away from the motorbike since he already made the effort to put enough space between him and the bike.
In both scenarios, the subject has made good use of a respective system of thinking and generated the best possible outcome, considering the circumstances.
But when it comes to agreeing on which outcome is better than the other, is it averting a dangerous outcome at the last second, or effortfully preventing its occurrence in the first place?
The Window to the Soul
The pupil dilation corresponding to the amount of effort gone into an activity is an excellent indicator of the stress we face w.r.t each task.
For tasks such as Add-1, in which a number is recited digit by digit to the best of a metronome, and on completing one number, each digit is added+1, the pupil dilates considerably.
For Add-3 task, the same but added by +3, the pupil dilates by almost 50%, as it is a very mentally taxing activity to follow multiple variable activities at once.
Anchoring
Anchoring is