SEPTEMBER 14, 2014
Humans have two, well-integrated neurological systems. One is fast, broad, effortless, and involuntary. The other is slow, sequential, effortful, and voluntary. Our habits and intuitions are part of the first; our reasoning and problem-solving part of the second. Research shows that our first automatic system makes our value judgments and our second “rational” system then comes up with reasons to justify the decision we have already made.
ASSIGNMENT:
Throughout the coming week, pay attention to what judgments you make automatically. Try to be aware of whether the feelings or the rational come first.
Keep track of your observations as you go along.
Reflect on your experiences. How do feelings, values and preferences tend to color the facts you choose to support your arguments? Try to consider what things might feel like under circumstances different than the ones you have experienced. Is “truth” the same for everyone? Please make a blog entry on your reflections.
Humans have two, well-integrated neurological systems. One is fast, broad, effortless, and involuntary. The other is slow, sequential, effortful, and voluntary. Our habits and intuitions are part of the first; our reasoning and problem-solving part of the second. Research shows that our first automatic system makes our value judgments and our second “rational” system then comes up with reasons to justify the decision we have already made.
ASSIGNMENT:
Throughout the coming week, pay attention to what judgments you make automatically. Try to be aware of whether the feelings or the rational come first.
- Are you able to do this?
- What tricks or techniques are you using to become aware of what you do without thinking?
- Just for fun (and to confuse your friends) try to argue a point of view that is different than the one you intuitively feel, for example, by considering an expanded set of facts.
- How do the questions you ask and are asked influence the response?
Keep track of your observations as you go along.
Reflect on your experiences. How do feelings, values and preferences tend to color the facts you choose to support your arguments? Try to consider what things might feel like under circumstances different than the ones you have experienced. Is “truth” the same for everyone? Please make a blog entry on your reflections.