Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Book Report Post - Thinking Fast and Slow

    In Daniel Kahneman's best selling book "Thinking Fast and Slow", there is one main point in which the author wants to get across to his audience. This point being that there are mainly two ways of thinking, and depending on which one that you chose, will ultimately determine the outcome of any situation. Just like in the title, there is a way in life to be able to think fast, quickly and on your feet, or slowly, more detailed and time consuming. For example, there are so many different situations we are presented with throughout our lives in which we must make a decision. When you are thinking fast - it can tend to be more impulsive and an instant decision. When you are thinking slow - this can be more thought out, and aware of your options in which you help make your decision. Say that you are in class, and a professor calls on you to answer a question. This would be a situation in which you must think fast so that you can answer your awaiting professor and classmates. Say your friend who you've known for years asks you out on a date, but tells you that you can think about it and get back to them later. This would be a situation in which you can think slowly, and weigh out your options before making your choice. The takeaway from this book would be that although our experiences change every day, the way that we are able to think about them will always remain the same. As humans, we are able to do so by thinking fast or slow.
    
    My personal favorite part of this book overall was how informative it was from start to finish. I never put much thought into the fact that there are two major ways to make the choices we do, but it does help in that decision making process. Throughout the book, Kahneman really shows his readers how using Systems 1 and 2 (fast and slow) correctly, will benefit yourself in making decisions that will effect your long term. Instead of jumping right away on something, he explains how taking your time to do so is more effective. It is not safe to constantly and only be impulsive, because that can definitely cause emotional turmoil in the relationships you have presented in your life. In our lectures, there are three kinds of thinkers. The "Naive Thinker, the "Selfish Critical Thinker", and the "Fairminded Critical Thinker". As a naive thinker, a person may be more of an only fast thinker because of the fact that they don't really care about how their thinking may affect themselves or others around them. A selfish critical thinker is going to be more of a slow thinker, because they are good at thinking, but can be unreasonable to others. A fairminded critical thinker is the best combination of the two, because they are a slow thinker, while also being fair to those around them. In closing, Kahneman proves that being a slow thinker is the most beneficial, and being fairminded critical thinker is the best possible. Fast and slow thinking are going to get you through every aspect of life, and now that I am more conscious of the two, I will definitely be thinking about them the next time I have to make a big decision. 

 




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfd8z3l3TYk

2 comments:

  1. Laci,

    I am happy to see that you chose this book as your read for the class. Although I have not read the book, however I plan to in the near future, I have become familiar with Kahneman through my recent blog post. I feel that is crucial for us to be able to identify the mechanisms of our thought patterns. The importance of this is not only for ourselves, but also for those in our lives and our culture as a whole. Your breakdown of the two systems was spot on. I also like the fact that you included information from our lecture in order to support your thoughts. Great work!

    ~Chris

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  2. Good afternoon Laci, I think your book report was well put together in the sense that, (first paragraph especially,) your report really captures what the book entails on the inside. I chose a different book but even from your report it makes me want to read "Thinking fast and slow." Your first paragraph really breaks down the difference between fast thinking and more critical thinking. You even gave us two different scenarios which was very insightful. I think your last sentence of your first paragraph is very important. The fact that our experiences and life literally changes everyday, but the way and process of thought in which we think about these experiences are the same.
    Great job

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