21A – Reading Reflection No. 2
Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
1) What was the general theme or
argument of the book?
The book discusses the two systems in our brains that fight for control over
our behavior and actions. Daniel Kahneman explains how this constant fight
leads to mistakes in memory, judgement, and decisions, and how to deal with it
through outsmarting your brain. The two systems are automatic and conscious. System
1, our automatic and impulsive system, is necessary for our survival and has
been with humans for a very long time. System 2 is the opposite. It is aware,
considerate, and conscious and it allows us to focus and show self-control. It is
considered a recent addition to our brains, being only couple thousand years
old. Kahneman discusses how our brains default to system 1 to make decision
because it wants to use the minimum amount of energy. Many times, this causes
errors and our brains will make mistakes. He also discusses financial decisions
and how to separate our emotions when making decisions about money.
2) How did the book, in your
opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003? I did not think that this book
directly related to entrepreneurship, however I think many of the topics
discussed are applicable to what we are learning. Understanding how our own
brains work, and how others brains work is very helpful in business. Knowing
how people choose to make decisions and judgements is extremely valuable when
starting a new business. It can help acquire new customers and be successful in
business transactions. It can also help us understand how we make our own
decisions and evaluate whether we are making mistakes because of the fight
between our two systems.
3) If you had to design an exercise
for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve? Throughout the book, Kahneman
included many examples that help the reader understand how their brain works. I
would design an exercise similar to this that takes students through the same
process. It would include photos, math problems, and short summary’s that invite
the reader to think about their first interpretation of the exercise presented
to them. We would discuss each exercise as a group, and then I would explain
how our brains came to this conclusion, and if we misunderstood the situation.
An example of this is the below illustration.
Kahneman
discusses this image early on in his book, and explains how at first glance we assume
the bottom line is obviously longer than the top line. However, after measuring
it we can determine that the lines are the same length. System 1 causes us to
think that the lines are two different lengths, but we know from system 2 that
they are not.
4) What was your biggest surprise
or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that
differed most from your expectations? I
felt that I had many ‘aha’ moments and they all came from participating in the exercises
that were included throughout the book. Each time, I found that Kahneman was
able to predict what I was thinking and then I learned that what I was thinking was wrong. This has caused me to be much more aware of what my brain is
doing and what steps to take to ensure that I don’t make mistakes and have
misunderstandings because of my system 1 and system 2 fighting.
Hi, Alyssa! I didn't have the chance to get read this book, but it sounds like it provided a lot of insightful information on human behavior. As a psych major, this kind of material really intrigues me. And although (just as you said) this doesn't directly relate to entrepreneurship, studying cognitive functions can definitely help with understanding consumer behavior. It's interesting how something like psychology and science can play a part into the success of a business!
ReplyDeleteHello Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteI had not chosen this book to do a reflection on but from what I read about your synopsis of the general theme it sounds extremely interesting. A lot of time people have trouble separating their emotions from their decisions, so learning how to do so in a business environment is very important. I agree that this book is indirectly related to this course because of learning the inner workings of the human brain and its needs in order to make a product that is useful and satisfactory.
Hi Alyssa, I chose a different book but this one sounds super relevant as well. I think it is so true that understanding how our brains work is really helpful in business throughout many facets. It can help understand who our target audience is and why they are inclined to purchase a service or product. Knowing how brains and decision making works psychologically is truly a useful skill to have in life in general as it helps you comprehend different perspectives. Good post!
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling your read was very interesting. I for one cannot say it is much of a topic that intrigues me. I also think that your exercise can definitely be good for exercising the brain and seeing how different people think about different things. It might actually help with entrepreneurship as you can bring many different ideas together to come bring and ultimate idea.
Hey Alyssa! It was interesting to read your post with your view on the book. The book sounds a little interesting but doesn’t seem like its my cup of tea. I saw that you mentioned that you didn’t think it directly related to our class but from I read on your post, I think it might be directly related. In class we learned about the things that go in and our assignments involve time and research to help make decisions. However, you read the book so I do trust your judgement more than my interpretation from your own post.
ReplyDelete