Could We Think Too Fast? Is System One Taking Over?

In his seminal work, “Thinking, Fast and Slow”, Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman introduced us to the concept of what he calls system one and system two thinking. The first one (system one) is our fast and intuitive mode of thought, responsible for quick judgments, automatic responses and instinctual reactions. It’s the inner voice that tells you to pull your hand away from a hot stove or the one that helps you recognize a familiar face in a crowd.

System two on the other hand, is our slower and more deliberate mode of thought. It’s the system we use for complex problem-solving and critical analysis, the weighing evidence and focused processing of ideas.

Our modern world is characterized by an undergoing information explosion. And with the rise of artificial intelligence this presents a new curious challenge. A potential overreliance on system one thinking.

While both systems are crucial for human cognition, an overdependence on the fast and intuitive can have direct and detrimental consequences for both individuals and on our society as a whole.

But why is that? Let’s delve into the factors contributing to this potential overreliance.

Firstly, the modern world bombards us with information from every corner and nook of in its disposal. This information deluge consists of news notifications, social media updates and the constant pressure to stay “in the know” and quickly creates a state of cognitive overload. This overwhelming amount of information makes us more likely to fall back and rely on the heuristics and biases that are ingrained in system one. These quick and instinctual and prebaked answers and thoughts are not always right, often the opposite, but we and our brains are lazy, and we choose them simply because there’s not enough time or and we lack the mental energy for in-depth analysis with system two.

This overreliance is further exaggerated by the rise of filter bubbles as social media algorithms and personalized news feeds create echo chambers where we’re primarily exposed to information that confirms our existing beliefs. This lack of exposure to diverse viewpoints reinforces existing biases and hinders system two from engaging in critical thinking and challenging assumptions. We know things to be true, instinctually, since nothing has challenged this preconception. And system two is forced to still lay dormant.

This is a catastrophic both for the mind and society. Our whole world is built upon the concepts created from the deep thinking and found insights from system two. System one is often a catalyst, that gets the process started or things going, but the long and methodical work of the human mind have created all the things around us. Some discoveries are serendipitous and spontaneous, fast and intuitive, but things we take for granted like democracy, medicine or science are all the product of years upon years of system two thinking from countless individuals.

To leave that all behind because we saw some guy on YouTube told us to, while selling pills to unlock our true potential, and just rely on gut feeling, heuristics and biases paints a bleak picture of the human race future. Not to dissimilar to the vision of the movie Idiocracy from 2006, a future that I think no one really wants.

Moving on. In our fast-paced world, efficiency is often prized above all else and we have effectively created a cult around it. Quick decisions, even if not necessarily the best ones, are often seen as preferable to the time-consuming process of deliberate analysis with system two. This pressure to make quick decisions once again lead to a reliance on intuition and heuristics. And forces us to bypass the critical thinking capabilities of system two to get ahead and to the finishing line quicker.

This is process is currently superpower by the rise of AI. As AI excels at tasks that require processing vast amounts of data and making rapid decisions, tasks traditionally falling under the purview of system one. However, this can lead to a delegation of these tasks to machines, potentially weakening our own ability for critical thinking and fostering an overdependence on AI for decision-making.

So, what are the potential consequences of this overreliance? Well, there are several areas of concern.

Overreliance on System 1 thinking makes us more susceptible to confirmation bias as there is a tendency to favor information that confirms our existing beliefs. This can lead to a further narrowing of perspectives and hinder our ability to have constructive conversations and address complex issues. These echo chambers, traps us and our thoughts, ideas, aspirations and dreams in a perpetual loop where information is just accepted if it fits our narrow preconception of what is true.

This is, to use another move reference (or Sci-Fi book if you’re a reader), the mind killer. A brain draining of monumental proportions that is only further speed up by the rise of misinformation.

The fast-paced nature of system one thinking makes it vulnerable to manipulation through misinformation and emotional appeals. Fake news and social media campaigns that exploit our biases can easily bypass our critical thinking faculties and spread like wildfire. And the consequences can be deadly.

Relying solely on system one for decision-making will lead to a range of cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic (judging the likelihood of an event based on how easily we can recall similar events) or the anchoring bias (giving undue weight to the first piece of information we encounter). These biases can and will lead to poor decision-making in both personal and professional spheres.

A constant reliance on quick answers and readily available information can stifle our curiosity and the desire for deep exploration. The two things that makes us humans so grand in the first place. System two, with its ability for in-depth analysis and critical thinking, is crucial for fostering intellectual curiosity and a love of learning. And is the foundation that we build all our achievements on.

Fortunately, the human brain is remarkably adaptable and there are ways to cultivate a healthy balance between the two systems. We can re-embrace slow thinking and once again free our minds. But more about that in a later blogpost.