Abstract ๐ฟ๐ง
"We think, each of us, that we're much more rational than we are."
โPsychologist Daniel Kahneman
> godspeed | hot and cold
Here's a useful way to understand the brain science that influential psychologist Daniel Kahneman was researching over the span of his career.
- Imagine that your mind is two abstract spheres.
One is your intuitive, unconscious mind that's prone to error but helps you reach decisions and judgments quickly throughout the day.
The second sphere is your analytical, conscious mind. It urges you to ease off the gas pedal and use reason and logic for achieving outcomes that more closely align with your stated desires. ๐ฑ
Kahneman refers to the intuitive mind as "System 1." That's broadly similar to what 19th century psychologist Sigmund Freud called the "unconscious" mind.
- Scientists have learned a lot since the time of Freudโs pronouncements. Today, System 1 and "implicit cognition" are just two of the many names given to the unconscious mind.
"Implicit cognition should not be viewed in terms of mysterious or untestable 'dark forces' reminiscent of Freud's id," wrote two psychology professors in a 2006 paper. "Rather, implicit cognition can be scientifically studied using multiple converging methods."
Mind scientists over decades have coined innumerable new but similarly abstract terms for understanding the mind's two sides.
We need abstractions to contemplate our dazzlingly complex minds and the world outside. We need abstractions to share what we've come to know about knowing.
But scientists and psychologists don't always excel at communicating their discoveries to the lay public.
Everyday people can't possibly keep track of all the names we have today for our "hot" and "cold" minds.
We can't possibly know what they all mean. We can't be expected to understand the latest research findings.
But we can always commit ourselves to learning more about the human experience and how we "see" it.
- next time Chapter end
- listening Van Morrison "Moondance"
โ 30 โ
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