What Are The Benefits Of Thinking Slowly?

People often have a tendency to use mental shortcuts in their daily lives in order to make decisions as quickly as possible. This resource has been very important for survival in the past and is also quite useful on many occasions today; However, it is not always advisable to think quickly.

Among the benefits of thinking slowly we can highlight the following: offering the possibility of reflecting and considering different alternatives when making decisions, as well as thinking about the consequences, correcting possible errors, facilitating the following of rules or controlling one’s own thoughts and shares, among other benefits.

In this article we are going to explain the main benefits of thinking slowly, and what it is used for on a daily basis.

Human thought systems

According to research published in the book “Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow” by psychologist Daniel Kahneman, human beings normally resort to using two thought systems when making decisions in their daily lives. However, although two ways of thinking can be used, broadly speaking, the human mind has a tendency to use mental shortcuts to make decisions as quickly as possible, thus saving time and energy.

Furthermore, in today’s era it is quite common for people to continually have to make quick decisions, since everything is constantly changing, so demands grow and this is sometimes not easy nor good for health. That is why there could be numerous benefits of thinking slowly, as we will see later.

When making decisions, people can do so in two different ways or, in other words, using two systems of thought, both of which can be very beneficial depending on the circumstances in which each decision must be made. That is why there is no one system of thought more important than another, since both are useful; However, the quick thinking system seems to be used more frequently on a daily basis even though the reflective thinking system can bring us great benefits on many occasions.

Thinking system 1, or quick thinking, offers us the possibility of making decisions quickly, even automatically, so that we can act with minimal effort. This system can be very useful and efficient since it makes it possible to issue quick responses without the need for too much information. There are endless daily activities that can be carried out thanks to system 1: driving and performing routine and repetitive tasks automatically, understanding simple sentences and responding with minimal effort, making some decisions quickly on a daily basis, etc.

On the other hand, resorting to system 2, which allows us to think more slowly, is useful for making decisions that require more attention, reflection and/or deliberation on our part. It is for this reason that this system requires a greater investment of energy and effort, so it can be tiring to use it constantly and for long periods of time. However, system 2 is used for a wide variety of tasks: analyzing behavior in a specific situation, checking the veracity of an argument, getting to know a person better, paying attention to the details of things, etc.

Likewise, it is important to pay attention and maintain it in a controlled manner in order to focus on the stimuli required to successfully carry out the tasks of system 2 thinking. In other words, to think reflectively, analytically and/or deliberately, it is necessary to intervene consciously and with sufficient will, since otherwise we would be resorting to system 1 of thought, which, as we have seen before, is a way of thinking. quick and automatic thinking.

The different benefits of thinking slowly

Having reached this point, it can be said that both systems of thought are useful and important to carry out different tasks and, depending on each context or specific situation, it is more useful to resort to one system of thought or another. In this article we wanted to focus on the benefits of thinking slowly and that is why we are going to explain them below.

1. It allows you to take into account various alternatives and think about the consequences

One of the benefits of thinking slowly that we can find is the fact that it offers us the possibility of processing information more slowly, thus being attentive to the details, in order to be able to reflect more thoroughly about the situation in which we find ourselves. We find ourselves immersed and thus see more clearly the problems that may have arisen, thus being able to take into account various alternatives.

Likewise, system 2 of thinking in this type of case also helps us think about the consequences of our decisions, and this is very useful when choosing the alternative that we are going to opt for among the range that we have found below. the time to make a decision. This mechanism is very useful for carrying out critical thinking beyond inertia and expectations, which allows us to analyze ideas meticulously and carefully.

2. Helps control one’s thoughts and actions

Also worth highlighting among the benefits of thinking slowly is the possibility that this way of thinking offers us to control our own thoughts and also our own behavior. Using system 2, or slow thinker, we will be able to observe and analyze what we do and we will also be able to reflect carefully on our thoughts in order to control both processes.

Regulating one’s own thoughts and actions and guiding them in the desired direction requires deliberate and conscious intervention, since it is necessary to evaluate and regulate the possible changes and implications that all these types of processes could have.

3. Help to respect the rules

In the different societies and cultures in which human beings live, there are a series of social and/or legal rules, as well as some norms; They can be seen as collective consequences that have been created and developed to regulate the way people behave within a society.

So, for people to respect the norms and comply with the rules, it is necessary that they use thinking system 2 since, on the contrary, if quick thinking were used, it is more likely that people will forget the norms and rules that they have, should take into account.

Furthermore, when we think slowly and deliberately, in addition to following rules better and respecting norms, we can also understand them better by being able to reflect carefully and look for the meaning they make.

4. It serves to make decisions consciously and having deliberated enough

Another benefit of thinking slowly that we should take into account is the achievement of having made important decisions consciously and having deliberated enough, since automatic thinking through system 1 could cause us to have made hasty and wrong decisions.

When we have to make an important decision, it is necessary to do it carefully and reflect what is necessary to choose the option that best suits our situation and ourselves, and for this we have the slow thinking system.

5. It can help correct mistakes and learn from them

When we correct our mistakes and learn from them, we obtain great benefits and, at the same time, we prevent certain negative effects that could have caused some errors from being repeated. To correct errors, it is necessary to resort to a slow mode of thinking in which sustained levels of attention intervene and thus be able to find where the problem is and thus prevent the same situation from repeating itself.

6. It is used to carry out tasks that require the use of logical thinking

Carrying out tasks that require logical thinking would be another of the benefits of thinking slowly since, although we can solve some logic tasks quickly through system 1 (e.g., multiplying numbers of one digit) is somewhat limited when solving other more complex logic tasks (e.g., multiplying numbers with two or more digits).

On the other hand, slow and reflective thinking helps solve complex logic tasks with a greater probability of success, such as mathematics problems that must be solved through various formulas and, for this reason, it is very useful in subjects. such as physics, statistics or mathematics, among others.

7. Allows you to enjoy the present moment

Finally, the possibility of enjoying the present moment, without having to keep your mind elsewhere, is key.

Living moments of full consciousness, using a reflective and slow way of thinking, offers us the possibility of enjoying every moment, every situation, the company we have with us and all the good things in life, without getting carried away. obsessive thoughts or catastrophic predictions. It is also important to face life with an attitude of openness towards everything good that happens to us, although it should also be the same when faced with the bad in order to better find the most appropriate solution.