Facing My Own Fast and Slow Thinking
I am struggling this week with what to write about Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow. As I have delved into this book, I feel like I understand the concepts well enough, but the writing feels illusive. My thoughts have ranged from a popular meme which says, “That moment you turn down the radio so you can see better,” to reading English verses reading Greek. I have thought about my medical journey and my mental health journey and how the Kahneman’s two systems relate to what I have learned in both.
Kahneman writes, “The automatic operations of System 1 generate surprisingly complex patterns of ideas, but only the slower System 2 can construct thoughts in an orderly series of steps.”[1] He further elaborates on each of these systems, detailing what each looks like in practicality, as well as discussing the attributes of each system. He suggests that “System 1 is indeed the origin of much that we do wrong, but it is also the origin of most of what we do right—which is most of what we do.”[2] Kahneman describes System 2 as a reflection of the knowledge of System 1. “System 2 articulates judgments and makes choices, but it often endorses or rationalizes ideas and feelings that were generated by System 1.”[3]
On Monday, I underwent a glucagon blood test. This test involves getting an injection and having my blood drawn every half hour for four hours. The injection left me feeling nauseous and lousy. Getting my blood drawn that many times is no fun either. I have difficult veins, so it is not easy. I did this test because we switched health insurance in June and our new insurance refuses to cover a medication that I have taken for the past five years for low growth hormone. The test was supposed to prove to the insurance company that I needed the medication. I received my results on Wednesday and they did not meet the insurance criteria for coverage.
Kahneman writes, “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.”[4] Yesterday, this is how I felt. I could not stop thinking about the stupid test results. I felt frustrated, hopeless, despondent. Kahneman also writes, “The premise of this book is that it is easier to recognize other people’s mistakes than our own.”[5] As I sat in my own misery, I texted a dear friend. Earlier in the day, I had prayed with another friend and felt better, but message from my doctor left me feeling down again. Even a trip to my favorite fabric store did not help to raise my spirits. My friend texted me, saying, “Well guess it is time to talk to God. You always tell me to leave it with him. He will help. Like 1 on 1 time.”[6] She reminded me of perspective. I needed to follow what Kahneman suggests: “The way to block errors that originate in System 1 is simple in principle: recognize the signs that you are in a cognitive minefield, slow down, and ask for reinforcement from System 2.”[7] 597 of 784
Recognize the signs: I knew from my emotional response that I was in a minefield.
Slow down: I took the afternoon off to allow myself to process these emotions, to allow myself to feel them, but not let them consume me.
Ask for reinforcement: As I have taken some time to process, I am reminded that God is in control. Whether or not insurance will cover this medication does not limit God’s ability to meet my needs or to heal me.
Sometimes stopping and reflecting on what I am learning is enough. It is helpful to remember that I do not have to rely on my own strength and that I have grown in my ability to face a difficult situation.
[1] Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow (New York, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2011), iBooks loc. 30 0f 784
[2] Ibid., loc. 595 of 784
[3] Ibid., loc. 594 of 784
[4] Ibid., loc. 576 of 784
[5] Ibid., loc. 41 of 784
[6] Kimberly Knight, text message to author, October 26, 2022.
[7] Kahneman, loc. 597 of 784
About the Author
Becca Hald
Becca is an ordained Foursquare minister, serving as the Online Community Pastor at Shepherd's House Church. She has over twenty-five years of leadership experience both inside and outside the church. Becca has served her community in many capacities ranging from Administrative Assistant and Children’s Ministry Director to Secretary and President of multiple school organizations. She and her husband, Andrew have been married for over 25 years. They have two adult children, Drew and Evelyn. Her great passion is to equip others, to raise awareness about mental health, and to help reduce the negative stigma surrounding mental health issues. In her free time, she loves going to Disneyland, reading, sewing, and making cards.6 responses to “Facing My Own Fast and Slow Thinking”
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Becca,
As difficult as Monday was, I am glad to hear how this book played a part in how you chose to think about your circumstances.
Thank you for sharing this quote-
“The way to block errors that originate in System 1 is simple in principle: recognize the signs that you are in a cognitive minefield, slow down, and ask for reinforcement from System 2.”
It is my prayer that you will be able to recognize the signs of being in a cognitive minefield and respond by slowing down and getting support from your slower processing system. I bet prayer and meditating on Scripture is in our system 2 thinking. I hope God is bringing to your mind verses that bring comfort and hope!
Thank you Kristy. I am grateful for your friendship and your prayers. I am doing much better today. I still do not have answers as to what my next steps are, if there are any, but I am trusting that God is taking care of me. My husband even commented to me this morning that he noticed I was doing better and that my resilience has grown. I was knocked down for a day, but not for a week or a month. Learning to sit in the uncomfortable is not an easy thing, but so worth while. Sitting in the uncomfortable is engaging System 2 thinking. We do not naturally want to deal with those feelings. We would rather be lazy and ignore them, but that does not help resolve anything. I think part of learning resilience is learning how to engage our System 2 thinking.
Becca,
Thank you for sharing so vulnerably. It is certainly frustrating to navigate insurance coverages, test and disappointment with the news.
Your reflections brought to mind how resilient you are. You have built up the cognitive, slow thinking muscle to guard your mind when it wants to fixate on this least-desirable outcome. Processing this experience through Kahneman is a great exercise in taming those first and persistent thoughts. Thank you for allowing us to be part of this with you.
I’m prayerfully hoping for an expedient solution for your medications.
Hey Becca,
As always, thank you for your vulnerability and honesty in your writing. It is beautiful to read, though, I imagine, painful to experience. Yes, this is deeply disappointing. I am sorry for these test results. I am amazed at your ability to bring in what you have learned through Kahneman and recognize you were “in a cognitive minefield.” This has inspired me to take time when I am experiencing disappointment, or whatever difficult emotions I may experience, to process and seek reinforcement from system 2. For, as you quoted from Kahneman, “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.”
Becca, I appreciate you sharing about the difficulties in writing especially during a week where your thoughts are rightfully somewhere else. How you relate the book’s contents to what you’re experiencing at the end is so clear, concise, and practical. Thank you!
Becca,
I appreciate your vulnerability and honesty in your post. Your writing is gift. I loved the quote that you selected, “Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.”
At times I think that we can overthink things and dwell on them. Because you are a high achiever its hard to to quiet thoughts that seem daunting. You are also a fixer, and its frustrating for things to be out of our control.
I pray that you find an answer for your insurance and your body.