This blog's title is inspired by Daniel Kahneman's 2011 book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. In it Kahneman presents the theory, well accepted in social psychology, that our thought processes can be described as if they are organized into two systems. System 1 is automatic, effortless and outside our awareness. It consists of innate responses to external stimuli and well-learned patterns of behavior. It is likely to make errors, such as overreacting to our fears. System 2 is deliberate and effortful. It is what we recognize as the content of our consciousness. While System 2 can also make errors, careful thought offers our best hope of responding rationally to an increasingly difficult environment. Here's a link to a recent lecture (about an hour long) by Kahneman on the subject of his new book.
We live in a country in which a major-party candidate for President has implied that allowing gay people to have sex will lead people to have sex with animals. It is hoped that this blog will encourage more rational thought. Specifically, I hope to apply the best available knowledge to the solution of our many social and political problems. And to have a good time doing it.
Since I'm a social psychologist, many of my examples will come from that field. However, I will touch on many other fields, including sociology, economics, political science, communications media, and the environmental sciences. Since no one can be an expert in all these areas, I hope you'll bear with me and correct me when I'm wrong.
The posts are intended for general audiences, so if you find them either too technical or too simplistic, please let me know.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
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