Slow and Fast Thinking

Namaste to whole Os.me family.

In this article, as promised, I am going to summarize Thinking Fast and Slow by David Kahneman.

Before this, I want to tell you that I didn’t read this book fully word by word because it seemed a little boring also at some places. That’s why I skipped some concepts and principles which are difficult to grasp without lectures from a strict professor.

According to psychology, human mind is divided into two parts which are called Systems.

These are named System 1 and system 2. We also know these as the left and right sides of the brain.

System 1 or right side– Right side represents our emotional and intuitive factors of mind. We have less command over emotions compared with thoughts. The functions of system 1 are automatic, like anger, love, habits, instinct actions etc. These can also be managed by cognitive efforts, but for that left side has to be in charge.

System 2 or left side– Left side is the logic and information based side of brain. It includes functions like cognitive thinking, controlling, reasoning and other mental works which need much effort. Monitoring the activities and imaginations, which are run by system 1, is also a side work.

State of ‘flow’– Cognitive work is not always unpleasant. Some people experience a state of effortless concentration so deep that they lose their sense of time, of themselves, and of their problems. This state of mind was named “flow” by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It brings about a state of joy and is known as an optimal experience.

Intuitions– According to scholar Herbert Simon- A situation provides a cue, this cue is given the expert access to information stored in memory, and the information provides the answer. Intuition is nothing more and nothing less than recognition.’

Our Intuitions need frictionless and smooth mental structure to happen. One should have also conscious to catch them.

Priming Effect– Priming was a new topic for me in studying Psychology. It says, exposing a word/image/thought in the mind helps related things to be evoked easily. It occurs in system 1, and we haven’t conscious access to it. Our emotions and actions can also be primed.

Two selves– Mind has its two selves. The first one experiences the world, surroundings and every happening which comes under the radar of conscious part of the mind. And other is remembering-self who has access to our memory. 

Psychology and Spirituality– There is only one but very deep difference between psychology and spirituality. In psychology, the mind attempts to analyze the mind itself and understand the activities and work systems.

Whereas in spirituality the mind is seen only by being aware and the observer finds that there is no mind in reality. Without the mind, there is no time. Because according to spirituality mind and time are illusions that are mutually dependent, when one ceases to exist the other also automatically dissolves.

Next book summary which I will write based on awareness or truth. That book is ‘The Greatest Secret’ by famous writer Rhonda Byrne’.

I’ll be glad if you find this article worth reading.

Once again, thanks to all of you for reading.

Photo by Morgan Housel on Unsplash