12 5 system 1 and 2

Summary

The video script explores the irrationality of human behavior concerning sustainability. It challenges the belief that providing information alone can prompt sustainable actions. Drawing on Daniel Kahneman's 'Thinking Fast and Slow,' the script distinguishes between 'System 1'—fast, unconscious thought processes—and 'System 2'—slower, rational thinking. Examples such as bike riding and home insulation illustrate how ingrained habits (System 1) often override rational choices (System 2), suggesting a need to address unconscious barriers to foster sustainable behaviors.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The human mind is not as rational and conscious as often believed, challenging the notion that providing information alone can change behavior towards sustainability.
• 🏆 Daniel Kahneman's work, including his book 'Thinking Fast and Slow,' highlights the distinction between two thought processes that influence our actions and decisions.
• 🔄 System one represents fast, unconscious thought processes that are efficient and require less energy, often operating without our awareness.
• 🤔 System two is the slower, more conscious, and rational thought process that requires more effort and is engaged for complex tasks or novel information.
• 👀 Our brain encodes visual and auditory information into understanding through system one, which is automatic and effortless.
• 🚴‍♂️ Learning complex skills like riding a bike initially requires system two but can become a habitual, system one process over time.
• 🏠 Insulation of houses is a rational choice for sustainability, but people may not engage in it due to unconscious barriers like the hassle of attic cleaning.
• 🚗 People often stick to driving habits due to unconscious system one processes, even when rational alternatives like public transport may be more efficient.
• 💡 Sustainability interventions can be more effective by addressing unconscious barriers (e.g., subsidies for attic cleaning to encourage insulation).
• 🌐 Communication about sustainability should consider the impact of unconscious processes and how they influence the way we process information.
• 🛣 The transition to sustainable behavior is hindered by unconscious thinking, indicating a need to focus on understanding and altering system one processes.

Q & A

What is the traditional belief about the human mind in terms of decision-making?

The traditional belief is that the human mind is very rational, economic, and conscious, capable of making decisions based on the right information provided.

Why is it assumed that providing information should lead to sustainable behavior?

It is assumed because the belief is that if people are informed about the consequences of their actions, they should logically conclude that they should alter their behavior to be more sustainable.

Who is Daniel Kahneman, and how does his work relate to the discussion of the human mind's rationality?

Daniel Kahneman is a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics. His work, particularly in his book 'Thinking Fast and Slow,' discusses the irrationality of the human mind and introduces the concepts of System 1 and System 2 thinking processes.

What are System 1 and System 2 according to Daniel Kahneman?

System 1 refers to fast, efficient, unconscious thought processes that require little energy, while System 2 is the slower, more rational, and conscious thought process that requires more effort.

How does System 1 operate in our daily lives without us being aware of it?

System 1 operates unconsciously, processing information quickly and efficiently without our awareness, such as encoding visual and auditory information into images and words we understand.

What is the role of System 2 in understanding and interpreting information?

System 2 is engaged for deeper understanding and interpretation of information, which might require more effort and energy, especially when dealing with complex or unfamiliar concepts.

Can you provide an example of how a complex task becomes an automatic process through System 1?

Learning to ride a bike is an example. Initially, it is a complex process that engages System 2, but once it becomes a habit, it is automated into System 1, allowing people to ride while doing other tasks.

How does the concept of System 1 and System 2 thinking apply to sustainability?

Sustainability-related behaviors are often influenced by unconscious System 1 processes, such as habits and barriers that may not be rational but affect our actions more than the informed decisions of System 2.

What is an example of how System 1 thinking can act as a barrier to sustainable behavior?

One example is the reluctance to insulate houses due to the perceived hassle of cleaning the attic before insulation, which is a System 1 barrier that can be overcome with subsidies for attic cleaning.

How do car owners demonstrate System 1 thinking in their choice of transportation?

Car owners often stick to driving habits due to the feeling of control it provides, which is a System 1 process, rather than making a rational decision based on efficiency, time, or cost.

Why is it important to focus on System 1 processes in promoting sustainable behavior?

Focusing on System 1 processes is important because they are often the unconscious barriers or motivators that influence behavior more significantly than the rational considerations of System 2.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Illusion of Rationality in Human Behavior

This paragraph explores the misconception that the human mind is purely rational and economic, particularly in the context of sustainability. It challenges the idea that providing information alone can change behavior towards more sustainable practices. The paragraph introduces Daniel Kahneman's work and his book 'Thinking Fast and Slow,' highlighting the distinction between System 1 (fast, unconscious thought processes) and System 2 (slow, rational, and conscious thought processes). Kahneman's theories suggest that System 1 is the dominant process, influencing our daily actions more than we realize, including our approach to sustainability.

05:03

🚴‍♂️ Overcoming Unconscious Barriers to Sustainable Behavior

The second paragraph delves into the unconscious thought processes, or System 1, that act as barriers to adopting sustainable behaviors. It uses the example of home insulation to illustrate how seemingly rational economic incentives are not as effective as addressing the unconscious hurdles, such as the inconvenience of cleaning an attic before insulation. The paragraph also discusses how System 1 thinking influences car owners to stick to their driving habits despite the availability of more sustainable transportation options. It emphasizes the need to focus on understanding and influencing these unconscious processes to effectively promote sustainable behavior.

Keywords

💡Rational mind

The term 'rational mind' refers to the human cognitive capacity to make decisions based on reason and logic, rather than emotions or instincts. In the video, it is initially assumed that providing people with information about sustainability would lead to rational, sustainable behavior, reflecting a belief in the mind's rationality. However, the script challenges this assumption by suggesting that human decision-making is not solely driven by rational thought processes.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability is the concept of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, often related to environmental, social, and economic factors. The video discusses how the human mind's approach to sustainability is not as straightforward as providing information and expecting rational behavior, indicating the complexity of achieving sustainable practices.

💡System One

System One, as introduced by Daniel Kahneman, represents the fast, efficient, and unconscious thought processes that dominate much of our daily cognition. The video uses 'System One' to illustrate how many of our behaviors, including those related to sustainability, are automatic and not necessarily driven by conscious, rational decision-making.

💡System Two

System Two is the slower, more deliberate, and conscious thought process that requires effort and is often associated with complex problem-solving and decision-making. The script contrasts 'System Two' with 'System One,' suggesting that while we might expect sustainability to be a result of conscious, rational thought (System Two), in reality, many behaviors are influenced more by unconscious processes (System One).

💡Unconscious thinking

Unconscious thinking refers to mental processes that occur without our awareness, influencing our behaviors and decisions without us realizing it. The video emphasizes the role of unconscious thinking in shaping our approach to sustainability, indicating that many of our actions are not the result of deliberate, conscious choices.

💡Habit

A habit is a routine behavior that is typically triggered by a specific situation and then performed automatically. The script uses the example of riding a bike to illustrate how initially complex behaviors can become habitual and move from 'System Two' to 'System One,' highlighting the power of habit in shaping sustainable behaviors.

💡Insulation

Insulation, in the context of the video, refers to the act of making a building more energy-efficient by reducing heat loss. The video discusses how rational economic incentives for insulation are not always effective in prompting behavior change, suggesting that other, more implicit factors (related to 'System One' processes) can be more influential.

💡Subsidies

Subsidies are financial incentives provided by governments or other organizations to encourage certain behaviors or industries. The script mentions subsidies as a tool that might not effectively change behavior towards sustainability unless they address the unconscious barriers ('System One' processes) that people face.

💡Sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility refers to the movement of people and goods in ways that minimize environmental impact. The video uses the example of car ownership to discuss how 'System One' processes, such as the perceived control and convenience of driving, can hinder the adoption of more sustainable transportation options.

💡Mastery

Mastery is the feeling of being in control or having expertise in a particular area. The script refers to the sense of mastery that comes from driving a car, suggesting that this feeling can be an unconscious barrier to adopting more sustainable forms of transportation.

💡Traffic jams

Traffic jams are a common occurrence in urban areas, often leading to delays and inefficiencies. The video uses traffic jams as an example of an everyday situation that, despite being predictable, does not necessarily motivate people to switch to more sustainable transportation methods, indicating the resilience of 'System One' habits.

Highlights

The human mind is not as rational and economic as commonly believed, contrary to the traditional view that providing information should lead to sustainable behavior changes.

Daniel Kahneman's Nobel Prize-winning work and his book 'Thinking Fast and Slow' emphasize the importance of understanding two distinct thought processes in the human mind.

System one represents unconscious, efficient thought processes that operate quickly and without much energy, often without our awareness.

System two is the rational, conscious thought process that requires more effort and energy, and is considered the secondary system to system one.

The brain encodes visual and auditory information into understanding through system one, which operates without conscious effort.

System two is engaged for deeper understanding and interpretation, which can be more effortful, especially when encountering new concepts.

Learning to ride a bike exemplifies how a complex, system two process can become an automatic, system one habit over time.

Daily activities like language are highly automatic and dominated by system one, influencing our communication and processing of information.

Sustainability communication often involves principles of system one, unconscious thought processes that affect how we deal with information.

Insulation of housing is a rational choice for energy efficiency, but people's engagement is not solely driven by economic incentives.

Subsidies for seemingly trivial tasks like attic cleaning can significantly increase people's willingness to insulate, demonstrating the impact of system one processes.

Car owners often stick to driving habits due to system one processes that give a sense of control, rather than making rational choices about transportation.

Unconscious thinking processes can hinder the transition to sustainable behaviors, highlighting the need to focus on system one in addition to system two.

Sustainable behavior change requires addressing both the rational, conscious mind (system two) and the unconscious thought processes (system one).

The transcript challenges the assumption that information provision alone is sufficient to drive sustainable actions.

Understanding the dual-process theory of mind can offer insights into why traditional approaches to promoting sustainability may not always be effective.

The transcript suggests that interventions aimed at sustainability should consider the underlying psychological barriers and motivators that are often unconscious.

The human mind's complexity in processing information and making decisions has implications for the design of policies and strategies to promote sustainability.

Transcripts

The human mind has long been considered a very rational, economic conscious mind.

This is also true with regard to sustainability.

We typically think that if we provide people with the right information, that should lead to the conclusion that they should alter their behavior such that it becomes more sustainable - that this approach would work.

Just informing people should be enough to make them do the appropriate, more sustainable behaviors.

Now, this, of course, is not true.

The human mind isn't as rational, economic or conscious as we might believe.

This is also discussed, for instance, by Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics

and much of his thinking can also be read in his bestselling book, Thinking Fast and Slow.

In that book, he makes a distinction between two thought processes.

On the one hand, you have system one, and on the other hand, of course, system two.

Now System two is indeed that very rational, economic conscious type of process that I was just referring to.

But it is called system two because it's also the secondary system according to him and a lot of the research that backs this up.

That means that there is a system one, which is a dominant process.

Now, what is system one then?

Well, system one is all the unconscious thinking that you have unconscious thought processes that are much more efficient, which means they don't take a lot of energy.

They are very fast, but they also fly under the radar.

We are not aware that we have these thought processes ourselves.

For instance, if we just refer to this situation, you are watching this clip, which means that you have a lot of visual information and auditory information

and your brain encodes that into an image and into words that you understand.

That is the system one. It's something that goes without effort.

And at the same time, there's probably also now a system two engaged for you which is really understanding, interpreting what these words mean. And that might take more effort.

Certainly, for instance, if you're not a psychologist, then this might be new to you and then this will take some more of your energy.

So we have system one which goes very efficient and system two, which is a rational, more conscious mind.

One example to further demonstrate is this for instance, thinking about learning how to ride a bike.

Physiologically, this is a quite difficult challenge.

It's a very complex process to ride a bike.

And in the beginning, you also see a lot of - often young children - struggling with this.

But once they get the hang of it, once they are used to it and that and it becomes a habit, you often see that people - young children, but also adults - can do this while doing other things at the same time.

They can talk to somebody next to them, they can listen to music.

They can think about stuff while riding a bike.

They look around for traffic.

They might do that even with one hand, or even without hands.

This shows that that initially very complex process of riding a bike, which was then system two now becomes a very automatic, habitual, easy to do process, which is system one.

If something like riding a bike can be automated into a system one process,

that also means that things that we do much more often on a daily basis, like language, for instance, can of course be highly, highly automatic and system one.

That also means that a lot of the communication - also with regard to sustainability - works with principles that fly under the radar and things that we are not aware of

but actually will have an effect on our processing of that information and the way we deal with that information.

Further applied to sustainability, you can also have a couple of examples demonstrating this link System one and system two thinking.

For instance, thinking about insulation of housing, insulation of housing is something that, rationally speaking, is a no brainer.

People should just insulate their houses because, well, the economics just add up.

With rising energy prices, the shock that we sometimes see in the energy market indeed might make people engage in insulation projects.

But the same rise in energy prices that goes much more under the radar in a long term sense, doesn't really make people engage in insulation projects while rationally speaking, it should do so.

Even more importantly, research found out that it's not necessarily the subsidies for insulation that might incentivize people, but subsidies for things that are much more implicit.

For instance, one intervention found that people see a true barrier, a real hassle in having just to clean up their attics before the insulation starts.

So in that an intervention, they gave people subsidies to clean up their attics and that really increased people's willingness to insulate.

A clear demonstration then of a very system one, unconscious type of thought processes, that are a true barrier to sustainable behavior.

Similarly, for instance, with regard to sustainable mobility, we also see that car owners engage in all these system one type of processes that make them stick to their car driving habits.

Rather than making the rational decision and understanding, for instance, that public transport or bikes or whatever might be the much more efficient way in terms of time, for instance, or cost, they stick to their cars.

They just want to have a steering wheel in their hands because they then think they're a master of the situation,

rather than understanding that there is a very unpredictable traffic jam ahead every day when they commute to or from work.

Again, a demonstration that you have system one processes, unconscious thinking that we are not really aware of, that hinders a transition to sustainable behavior.

And that's why we need to focus much more on those system one processes rather than on

the system two processes where information in itself should be enough to make people engage in the right sustainable behaviors.