Who’s In Charge of Our Well-Being?
In his memoir, A Thousand Days, former Kennedy aide Arthur Schlesinger reproached himself for not objecting during the planning for the Bay of Pigs invasion: “I can only explain my failure to do more than raise a few timid questions by reporting that one’s impulse to blow the whistle on this nonsense was simply undone by the circumstances of the discussion.”[1]
According to a Nobel prize winner in economic science, our natural cognitive state is riddled with biases, fallacies and illusions.
Daniel Kahneman gives us a vision of flawed human reasoning in the way we see ourselves. If human irrationality is the great theme of his book, Thinking Fast and Slow, perhaps the recurrent theme in the book is that many people are overconfident as they place too much faith in their intuitions. Like Arthur Slesinger’s confession to his cognitive ease, he made a poor decision in thinking fast hoping it was “close enough to reality.” The New York Times columnist David Brooks declared that Kahneman and Tversky’s work “will be remembered hundreds of years from now,” and that it is “a crucial pivot point in the way we see ourselves.” They are, Brooks said, “like the Lewis and Clark of the mind.”[2]
Where Does Overconfidence Originate?
The image of our human nature being flawed is not new news to us and nor should it be when we consider the plethora of Christian book titles about renewing our minds and making decisions.[3] Our entire faith system is based upon the truth that we are in desperate need of a Savior which is what makes our reading this week so compelling to me. In light of how the public Christian narrative is so distorted, in reading Kahneman’s book, I have discovered a possible source of the problem: Overconfidence and WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is).
There is a theological and psychological depth to our impulsive or intuitive thinking. Christians are not strangers to our damaged impulses or what the New Testament calls our “old nature”[4] or the flesh. Nor is being transformed by renewing our minds foreign to us, that by “testing you may discern. . .”[5] The words for “by testing you may discern” translates to Greek dokimazo, which often has the sense of finding out the worth of something by putting it to use. Paul even confesses about the two “powers” running his inner life.[6] We are especially prone to an exaggerated sense of how we understand ourselves in the world.
What Is the Best Kind of Confidence?
Thinking Fast and Slow shows us how two systems of our brains are constantly fighting over control of my behavior and actions.
System I System 2
|
Automatic, Intuitive, largely unconscious mode |
Slow, deliberate, analytical consciously effortful mode of reasoning |
This book was not written through a theological lens; yet, while reading the book, I kept hearing in the back of my mind, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”[7] Daniel Kahneman understands the heart/mind fairly well and points us toward some rich and profound answers to how we as Christian leaders can put together a better story based on evidence we don’t yet see.[8]
How Much Effort Do We Need to Make?
The two systems make sense. Readers quickly learn that our brains are lazy and that our brains want to save energy. (And when it comes to money, we need to leave our emotions at home). In fact, the combination of a coherence-seeking System 1 with a lazy System 2 drew me back to Threshold concepts when Land writes, “To arrive at meaningful knowledge, they must learn through deep inquiry, as the unexamined life is not worth living, so the unexamined fact is not worth believing.”[9] System 2 must deliberately seek information through deep inquiry.
Am I Motivated to do the Work?
Here’s where I found the good of Kahneman’s work connected to threshold concepts: I won’t care if I have to wade through deep inquiry (or a painful colonoscopy) if the goal is satisfaction. I will fight to find the evidence I don’t yet see until I find what is missing. What is the end goal of good decision making? Is it a Differentiated Self? Rational Thinking? Or something else? Kahneman says it’s well-being or happiness.
Is happiness worth the work?
Yes! Especially if there’s A Reward!
Kahneman differentiates between “experienced” well-being, as opposed to the “remembered” well-being. And he found that these two measures of happiness diverge in surprising ways. What makes the “experiencing self” happy is not what makes the “remembering self” happy. The “remembering self” does not care about duration–how long a pleasant or unpleasant experience lasts. The bottom line is the “remembering self” is who decides about our happiness. The “remembering self” is what will help us work through what we need to work through to cross our thresholds. And there’s where we discover the reward of well-being.
Maybe from here on out, I will replace the word “Confident” for the “Remembering Self,” in my work and family life. After all, by the time I finished reading this book and writing this post both my systems 1 and 2 were still running after each other and I am “overconfident” that I spent too much time thinking about what to write! May my “Remembering Self” never forget. Here’s to our well-being!
[1] Jr, Arthur M. Schlesinger. A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House. 1st edition. Boston: Mariner Books, 2002.
[2] Holt, Jim. “Two Brains Running.” The New York Times, November 25, 2011, sec. Books.
[3] “Renewing the Christian Mind: Essays, Interviews, and Talks: Willard, Dallas, Black Jr., Gary: 9780062296139: Amazon.Com: Books.” Accessed February 27, 2023.
[4] Galatians 5: 16, ESV
[5] Romans 12:2, ESV
[6] Romans 7: 17-24.
[7] Jeremiah 17:9, ESV
[8] Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. 1st edition. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013. P. 87
[9] Land, Ray, Jan Meyer, and Michael T Flanagan. Threshold Concepts in Practice. 1st ed. 2016. Educational Futures, Rethinking Theory and Practice. Rotterdam: SensePublishers, 2016.
About the Author
Pam Lau
Pamela Havey Lau brings more than 25 years of experience in speaking, teaching, writing and mediating. She has led a variety of groups, both small and large, in seminars, trainings, conferences and teachings. Pam’s passion is to see each person communicate with their most authentic voice with a transparent faith in Jesus Christ. With more than 10, 000 hours of writing, researching, and teaching the heart and soul of Pam’s calling comes from decades of walking alongside those who have experienced healing through pain and peace through conflict. As a professor and author, Pam deeply understands the role of mentoring and building bridges from one generation to another. She has developed a wisdom in how to connect leaders with their teams. Her skill in facilitating conversations extends across differences in families, businesses, schools, universities, and nonprofits. Pam specializes in simplifying complex issues and as a business owner, has helped numerous CEOs and leaders communicate effectively. She is the author of Soul Strength (Random House) and A Friend in Me (David C. Cook) and is a frequent contributor to online and print publications. You can hear Pam’s podcast on Real Life with Pamela Lau on itunes. Currently, Pam is a mediator for families, churches, and nonprofits. You can contact Pam through her website: PamelaLau.com. Brad and Pam live in Newberg, Oregon; they have three adult daughters and one son-in-law. One small, vocal dog, Cali lives in the family home where she tries to be the boss! As a family they enjoy worshiping God, tennis, good food and spending time with family and friends.7 responses to “Who’s In Charge of Our Well-Being?”
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Like you, I also thought of Paul’s words in Romans 7 as I read about System 1 and System 2. The two systems seem especially relevant when we are faced with temptation. Kahneman actually talks about this when he addresses willpower (page 43 in my copy of the book). What he proves through his research is something that I have certainly experienced. Willpower requires effort, in other words, System 2 engagement. He puts it this way: “If you have had to force yourself to do something, you are less willing or less able to exert self-control when the next challenge comes around. The phenomenon has been named ego depletion.”
I wonder what this means for many of our cohort’s NPOS, as many of us are working toward implementing intentional change in one way or another. Intentional change requires so much willpower; a significant part of our projects are going to require our stakeholders to engage their System 2 thinking.
Kim, I read your comment about willpower thinking you would highlight the opposite; yet, according to the research, we lose self-control when we have to rely on will power. Your question is so good for us to reflect upon. If only some in our cohort could research/study a system/axiom that removes the constant pressure on a leader’s exercise of the will to overcome, stay the path, be successful, fulfill their mission.
Leaders who I meet with tell me they are weary of it being all up to them, to make one more decision, or to be the catalyst in making something happen. Based on our readings, I’d love to hear from you and others what ideas emerge to ease the use of will power alone? How do close relationships, professional or personal, play a part?
At the age of 51 I deeply resent your reference to a “colonoscopy.” My time is drawing very near. Yikes.
🙂
In reading(actually listening) to Kahneman, I too found myself mindful of Jeremiah’s words, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” We have such a propensity for self-deception, do we not? The desire for immediate payoff, and WYSIATI (What You See Is All There Is), leads us to faulty thinking, and belief systems.
I always appreciate the way you, Pam, connect your reading to the Scripture!
John, I find reading great books like From Good to Great, Deep Work, Leadersmithing, even classical literature like Shakespeare, often conjure up biblical truths for me. Truth is truth no matter who writes it or who speaks it. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I wrote my first book, Soul Strength. I was teaching at a Bible college in PA in the mid-90s when my students challenged me when I would highlight a truth from the literature and how it aligned with Scripture. Some thought I was heretical. So I wrote a book. It’s my way of debating.
P.S. You need to get a colonoscopy now! Don’t wait.
Thanks Pam….I found myself both slightly disconcerted by this book and also encouraged.
Encouraged: Like you, I thought of Rom 12 and the invitation to be transformed by having our minds transformed. In the language of Kahneman’s book, I wondered if a lot of the Spirit’s work in our lives is helping us learn to NOT go with system 1 advice and instead, slow down and engage system 2? I also wonder if, with the Spirit’s help, we can insightfully explore our system 1 default settings and reorient them into greater alignment (ie. relational health) with God’s way of being?
Disconcerted: This book (and the other books we have read that are reminding us how often we are wrong in our beliefs, thinking, and assumptions) makes me consider how often we, as believers, can be over-confident about our beliefs–even religious beliefs–and still be incorrect!
Lord…please transform our hearts and our minds!
Scott, Exactly! Good work bringing to light a theme in our readings: we are often wrong in our beliefs, thinking, and assumptions. With that in mind, wouldn’t it be interesting for those of us looking at helping the leadership crisis find health, do a bit of research of how leaders think, believe and assume things about themselves? In fact, just yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine about this very problem. How is certain leaders get as far as they do when they are lacking specific and obvious skills, gifts, or character to do the job/role? My friend and I said for us we must be terribly honest with ourselves, God and a few trusted friends/professionals who we can listen to and hear. Again, you are right to make mention of the fact that we can be over-confident about our beliefs–even our religious beliefs.
Heavenly Father, Go before all my decisions today. Guide my S1 intuition/feelings them today. Align my S2 thinking in ways that glorify you. Amen.
Hmmm..wondering if my decision to join this program was a S1 or S2 decision.