Day 8: System 1 Thinking: Fast, Intuitive, and Often Wrong
Why even smart people make bad decisions – spotting the biases, shortcuts, and traps before they sabotage you.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
KEY INSIGHT: Most bad decisions come from not slowing down. We’re wired to save mental energy, so we default to the fast system. System 1 is what lies behind our greatest cognitive trap – we confuse feeling right with being right. But what saves time now… can cost dearly later.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Think about a time when you had a strong “gut feeling” about someone – maybe you instantly liked them in a job interview, or immediately trusted a salesperson. What specifically triggered that reaction? Was it their confidence, the way they looked, or something they reminded you of? Looking back, did your quick impression hold up over time?
TODAY’S EXERCISE: Next time you catch yourself saying “I just have a good feeling about this” or “Something doesn’t feel right,” pause for a moment and ask yourself: “What exactly is making me feel this way?” You don’t need to change anything – just notice what your System 1 is picking up on. Sometimes it’s brilliant intuition, sometimes it’s just pattern matching gone wrong.