{"id":31490,"date":"2023-03-01T21:47:58","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T05:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=31490"},"modified":"2023-03-02T07:26:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T15:26:36","slug":"the-psychodrama-inside-my-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-psychodrama-inside-my-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"The Psychodrama Inside My Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading two books back-to-back, one by a family therapist and one by a psychologist has been a surprisingly challenging experience. On the one hand, because I work in the field of counseling the general concepts are not new. On the other hand, what is being discussed feels foreign to me. The confusion is that both Kahneman and Friedman are using terms that I am familiar with yet have different nuances of meaning when applied to leadership and thinking processes. I pulled out, How to Read a Book, <\/em>By Mortimer Adler and reviewed Rule #5, for coming to terms with the author.[1]<\/a> I needed this review. My head still hurts after struggling with Friedman\u2019s understanding of the term empathy<\/em> as applied to leadership.<\/p>\n

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Psychodrama: In Thinking Fast and Slow<\/em>, Kahneman likens his book to a psychodrama between the two characters he calls System 1 and System 2. The two systems are two different modes of thinking. System 1 is fast, automatic, intuitive, emotional, involuntary, and heuristic. System 2 is slow, deliberate, effortful, logical, and controlled.[2]<\/a> Psychodrama is an interesting term to use when considering the connections between these two systems of thought. Here is the American Psychological Association\u2019s definition: \u201cA method of psychotherapy in which clients enact their concerns to achieve new insight about themselves and others. Its central premise is that spontaneity and creativity are crucial for the balanced, integrated personality and that humans are all improvising actors on the stage of life. Clients may role play in a variety of scenes either lived or imagined.\u201d[3]<\/a> For Kahneman, embracing a balanced and integrated way of thinking seems to be a theme of his book. I am curious how \u201cspontaneity and creativity\u201d might aid in my engagement with the two systems. I can imagine these two systems as characters dialoguing with one another, challenging each other, and drawing the best insights out of the other.<\/p>\n

Kahneman has used the term psychodrama to describe the process of navigating both systems of thinking when observing a situation and taking in new information, which then moves one to new understanding, and therefore different judgments and choices. If his book is about helping us sort out how to use both thinking systems appropriately, I am guessing there are more insights and a bit of drama as I hold the tension between these two opposing characters at work in my brain. The push, pull, and pause of processing information and engaging with threshold spaces makes more sense. Both systems are needed. Referencing emotions Friedman concurs, that the brain does not compartmentalize data and emotional processes, \u201cEmotions do not simply modify our thinking, reasoning, or decision-making processes, they are part and parcel of the process <\/em>of reasoning.\u201d[4]<\/a> \u00a0However\u2026<\/p>\n

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Biases and Cognitive Distortions: I must become aware of my own biases of feelings, impressions, and intuitive beliefs. Recognizing my thoughts may not be as accurate as I like to believe and influenced by things outside my awareness is uncomfortable. Kahneman\u2019s psychodrama analogy is linked to critical thinking and presents a challenge to think less egocentrically. Richard Paul and Linda Elder, in The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking, <\/em>highlighted how we naturally believe in our intuitive perceptions and use self-centered psychological standards rather than intellectual standards when determining what information to believe or reject. Examining the why of believing something is an important consideration in the context of leadership and faith as indicated by the potential belief statements below.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s true because I believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true because we believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true because I want to believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true because I have always believed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true because it is in my best interest to believe it.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

Thinking errors or cognitive distortions are defined as, \u201c…faulty or inaccurate thinking, perception, or belief. An example is overgeneralization. Cognitive distortion is a normal psychological process that can occur in all people to a greater or lesser extent.\u201d[6]<\/a> Kahneman agrees, \u201cThe focus on error does not denigrate human intelligence,\u201d[7]<\/a> As Kahneman\u2019s book focuses on \u201cbiases of intuition\u201d one of his goals for readers is to help us identify and understand errors of judgement and choice in others and in self.[8]<\/a> According to Friedman, if I am well differentiated then I am responsible for my own thinking. In conversation with others, if I am truly listening to understand, these two systems can work together to keep me out of cognitive traps and self-differentiated in my leadership roles. The insights Kahneman is offering integrate well with Friedman\u2019s thoughts on differentiation and non-anxious presence.<\/p>\n

I have been thinking about my NPO for at least 10 years. It started with intuition, a gut feeling, an emotional, and empathetic response to the ministry leaders I care about and who might benefit from a listening ear and safe places to share authentically. System 1 was at work in this early process. System 2 kicked into gear with my discovery workshop, interviews, and surveys. As I research and write my Topic Expertise Essay a new level of understanding is emerging which is most definitely slow, effortful, and hopefully more logical. I wouldn\u2019t be here without System 1. I am noticing when system 1 needs to take a back seat and be on alert for over-generalizations and other thinking errors. Being curious and asking questions is System 2 thinking. Moving forward, I want to be more cognizant of what hinders and what supports my thinking process.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Mortimer Jerome Adler and Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book<\/em>, Rev. and Updated Ed (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972) 98.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast and Slow<\/em>, (New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2013), 20-21.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> \u201cPsychodrama\u201d https:\/\/dictionary.apa.org\/psychodrama<\/a>, Accessed March 1, 2023.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Edwin H. Friedman, Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix.<\/em> Revised Ed. (New York, NY: Church Publishing, 2017), 125.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Richard Paul and Elder, Linda, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking.<\/em> (London, UK: Rowan & Littlefield, 2020), 39.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> \u201cCognitive Distortions\u201d https:\/\/dictionary.apa.org\/cognitive-distortion<\/a>, Accessed March 1, 2023.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking Slow and Fast,<\/em> 4.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Ibid., 3-4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading two books back-to-back, one by a family therapist and one by a psychologist has been a surprisingly challenging experience. On the one hand, because I work in the field of counseling the general concepts are not new. On the other hand, what is being discussed feels foreign to me. The confusion is that both […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":184,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2664],"class_list":["post-31490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp02kahneman","cohort-dlgp02"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/184"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31490"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31501,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31490\/revisions\/31501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}