How are we thinking differently in different situations? What shapes our thoughts and influences our perspectives and judgments? What do intelligence and rationality truly mean? How are illusions formed in our minds? How are reviews and choices prone to bias? These and numerous other questions often pique our curiosity. The masterpiece Thinking, Fast and Slow is an approach to providing suitable answers through the lifelong research of Daniel Kahneman. This book comprises his research with simple but persuasive style. This also asserts certain arguments based on scientific research.
Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel laureate and a renowned psychologist, is acknowledged for his groundbreaking research in the development of ‘Prospect Theory’. This theory challenges the traditional economic models by demonstrating that people are not always rational decision-makers. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, the author explores vastness of characteristic thinking of our minds. He unveils the thinking model of the brain as System One and System Two. The book revolves around the processing of these two systems with distinctive parameters in the fields of economics, business, and psychology.
In this review, I will provide you with a small bite of the ‘delicious dish’ that is off course Thinking, Fast and Slow. The writer presents thought-provoking ideas in persuasive manners, blending a unique methodology with compelling research and examples. The book has been divided into five parts, containing different chapters. The title of each section tells its own story. Part-I, ‘Two Systems’, discusses the characteristics of our thoughts. Part-II, ‘Heuristics and Biases’, debates our judgments. Part III, ‘Overconfidence’, analyzes the illusion created in our minds. Part IV, ‘Choices’, unveils the myths of our inclination towards various modules. The last part, ‘Two Selves’, addresses the influence of the dual masters of pain and pleasure.
The author introduces us to the ‘two systems of thinking’. System 1, which he calls an ‘automatic system’, operates quickly with no effort, while System 2 allocates attention to the effortful mental activities, which include complex computation. He states that System 1 is intuitive and impulsive, which means it does not engage in reasoning and makes decisions with little or no effort. On the other hand, System 2 is capable of reasoning and logic, through which it implies cautions in the decision-making process. For validity of these arguments, the writer showcases various research studies and examples, such as bat and ball. Furthermore, the book covers the interaction of these two systems.
In the next section, the author describes our way of making judgments. He asserts that people inappropriately apply causal intuition to situations that require statistical reasoning. For the formation of judgment and conclusion, people often use System 1. However, this system is not capable of this mode of function. System 2 can learn to think statistically, but few people receive necessary training. In chapter 8, ‘How Judgments Happen’, Daniel Kahneman argues that System 2 raises the question and searches the memory to answer it, while System 1 operates differently. It works on what is going on outside and inside of the mind and continuously generates assessments of various aspects.
The author has figured out the core of ‘Illusion of Truth’. In the book, he gives many examples and mentions research studies that cement the idea of how illusions are created in our minds. He writes that an illusion in judgment occurs if it is based on the cognitive ease. A reliable way to make people believe in the falsehoods is repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth. He states that familiarity with one phrase suffices to make the whole statement familiar and thus true. We are more fascinated by the content of the information provided than its reliability.
In this way, a view of the world becomes simpler and more coherent around us. Hence, we are more likely to accept the illusion of truth in our imagination than to acknowledge what is true in reality. The Nobel laureate mentions that our reviews, sampling, and choices are contaminated by bias. In this regard, he quotes Antonio Damasio, a Portuguese neuroscientist, as saying that the “judgments of people are formed by emotional evaluations of outcomes, bodily states, and approach and avoidance tendencies associated with them”. Therefore, the writer argues that statistical intuition with proper suspicion and replacement impression should be re-evaluated with computation.
The author portrays the idea of ‘Science of Availability’ that guides our way of living. We are under the surveillance of those who continue to shape our culture and society. He argues that System 1 provides impressions that turn into beliefs, and these sources become the choices and actions. For instance, he quotes the research of Kathleen Vohs, whose findings suggest that ubiquitous messaging shapes our cultures and societies. For instance, a culture that focuses on money may shape our behavior and attitude towards it.
Similarly, some cultures provide frequent reminders to respect and love, leading people to feel a greater obligation to express these values. These are few concepts of thoughts and ways of thinking. This book challenges our judgment credibility and disintegrates the illusion of truth and reality. Numerous provocative discoveries are hidden in this masterpiece. With its simple and engaging writing style, Thinking, Fast and Slow grabs the attention of its readers.