The two systems associated with your brain are responsible for how and when you think
According to psychologists Keith Stanovich and Richard West, humans have two primary systems for thinking:
- System 1: operates automatically and quickly without voluntary control and with little effort.
- System 2: allocates attention to effortful mental activity of any kind.
Humans avoid overloading their brains with information by consciously or subconsciously breaking tasks into smaller steps. That is because we naturally prefer solutions that require minimum mental effort and strength.
⚡️The moment a solution requires a lot of effort, the attention paid to it starts to decrease.
While System 1 makes instant decisions based on habit, System 2 evaluates and supervises System I’s input, establishing balance in your brain’s function. However, this action relies on something other than facts, namely faith and intuition.
System 1 usually provides the information wrapped around impressions to System 2. These impressions turn to beliefs that humans hold on to. The thoughts then turn to actions that create an identity for you.
The human brain is programmed to adjust to speed and stress. Cognitive ease comes into play because you behave differently when trying to do something with ease. Another function of System 1 is that it helps you shape what’s customary to you, what surprises you, and the cause of these things.
You should note that System 1 needs to make an accurate conclusion from the information sent. It doesn’t care about the precise data assessment; it makes its conclusions.
System 2 works hard to find an escape route for you, especially when you are stuck with finding a solution to a problem.
When System 1 faces a tricky situation that it can’t find a solution for, it’ll seek the help of System 2, calling it into action to find a way around the problem immediately. However, sometimes, your brain deceives you into believing that a task is simple. This phenomenon happens because your brain wants to save as much energy as possible when executing a task.
So, when System 1 feels it can handle a situation or problem, it won’t activate or call for the help of System 2. These two systems work together to help you perform tasks and make decisions.