A TALE OF TWO SYSTEMS
All human behavior is determined by two systems in the mind – automatic & reflective.
*The reflective system is the thoughtful, deliberate, and calculating part of our mind, handling all conscious functions, including current effort level and active focus of attention.
For an example, think of a Olympic runner at the starting line, blocking all distractions, bracing for the gun. Laser-focused.
Looking at your inbox in the morning, thinking where you’ll start. Or after starting, you narrow focus around one situation and thinking about how to phrase your message – client, family, or otherwise.
*The automatic system is our emotional side, which acts impulsively and operates without the need for reflection.
Basic examples of automatic functions, could be completing these familiar phrases: Two peas in a… // peanut butter and… // moral of the…
Our automatic system also deals with reaction; a few quick examples…
Phone going off in zoom meeting and you reaching down to silence it.
Slamming on your breaks when a car cuts you off.
*The latter, our automatic system, drives decision-making, but the overall relationship between the two dictates our respective behavior for any particular situation.
Let’s think about the runner at the starting line:
In the moments leading up to the gun, they are using reflective functions to block out distraction; but the sound of the gun, triggers an automatic response, and off they go.
Same mental process as a shortstop focusing on the batter before the pitch, then reacting upon hearing the ping of the bat.
Our reflective system requires focus, effort and thinking, while automatic processes do not. Remember, it’s the relationship between the two determining our behavior; that occurs without voluntary control, and there’s no reason for you to know that unless you studied cognitive psychology.
Regardless if it’s a long evaluation or snap decision, the emotional side of our mind generates impressions, feelings, and judgment; when endorsed after reflecting, these become our beliefs, attitudes, and intentions.
Since this all occurs unconsciously, there’s no reason you would even know this process is even happening. Hell, even if you do know cognitive psychology – you don’t need to care. But it is happening.
AFTER gaining an adequate understanding. our automatic system can execute skilled responses and generate better intuitions.
The mind is like a giant puzzle – there are so many different pieces all working simultaneously. The mind and brain also work just like a muscle.
You train it and get stronger. You don’t – then you don’t.
INTRO
In this article, I’m going to break down the primary pieces of our mental puzzle. Upon completion you will understand more about how the mind works than most people you know.
As a sales strategist, my realm is all things decision-making. Over the past two years, I’ve gone as deep down the rabbit hole as you can go to learn human behavior.
Specifically, my research objective was to gain a better understanding of buying behavior. Why? It boils down to acquiring leverage.
As a salesperson with a very ‘proactive’ approach, I’m always looking for ways to acquire more leverage to help drive business for me & my clients in whatever situation we find ourselves.
With endless external factors outside our control, professional selling is an occupation that relies on information.
Leverage means using something to its maximum advantage; so, a continuous ‘sales task’ is simply leveraging all information available.
Since details about a prospective buyer is often limited (or non-existent), to boost sales performance, you not only need to maximize the information you know – it’s necessary to uncover additional insights to improve your chances of closing.
So, after stumbling across behavioral science research, I realized there was information available that I hadn’t yet tapped. At the time, I had no idea how to leverage psychology during a sales interaction, but I knew learning it would help, and I was fired up to figure it out!
What better way to influence a decision than understanding the process behind how decisions form?
Influence and talking about the mind & how all of this works sounds intense, intimidating, and uncomfortable. In many ways – it is. But WHY?
Why is learning about the most important part of our being such a painful process?
Why isn’t emotion more of a thing? Why don’t people see my point of view? Why would someone believe that?
Well, those answers are a bit more complex – but there are answers.
All humans are wired to act certain ways, formed near exclusively around what’s familiar.
While we’re all unique, no human mind is “hard-wired,” and even more interesting is the mental criteria driving our respective behavior (brace for it) – works exactly the same way.
WHAT we think about is different, of course; but HOW we think, and the process behind WHY people behave the way they do, is not only universal in every human who has ever existed - it’s also very predictable.
Awareness is the name of our game; regardless of where you set your sites, gaining new perspectives is essential for maximizing performance. There’s no progress without pain, so you gotta be willing to get a bit uncomfortable.
You don’t know what you don’t know… until you do. Let’s get to work!
FROM PURPOSE
Before moving forward, I want to make a quick side note. You learned about bias, a mistake in our reasoning/evaluating/remembering, and I just introduced heuristics (mental shortcuts) as well as the two systems.
Collectively, these are the primary pieces of our mental puzzle. In fact, the two systems are the ‘main characters’ and overall premise of, Thinking Fast & Slow.
As you can imagine, especially considering all the unconscious factors – decision science is a BEAST of a topic. Off that, a few things to keep in mind:
Don’t Need to Grasp: there’s no reason to have even heard of these topics[AA2] before, let alone fully understand them.
Don’t Need to Care: All more optional going forward.
Using myself as example, I had zero knowledge of any topic related cognitive psychology. The first time I read Thinking Fast & Slow was the first time I heard the term heuristics.
*While it took time to grasp, understanding these
Aside from cementing Kahneman’s status as Nobel Laureate, TF&S is universally considered among the most important psychology publications – of all time.
Richard Thaler, who will be under the Technically Selling spotlight in part II, had a quote saying, “Amos Tversky
Richard Thaler, who I quoted earlier, has another line in his Misbehaving that really spoke to me. Forever changed life (same)
OG NOTES (AUG-2018)
Part II: Our Irrational Mind – Becoming Conscious of the Unconscious
The fact that humans make mistakes in their decision making isn’t what’s so interesting. It’s how predictable that part of human behavior can be.
Tale of Two Systems
All human behavior is determined by two systems in the brain…
System 1: The Automatic System
This is the impulsive and intuitive part of the brain that operates instinctively, suddenly, and often without our conscious control
Example: You get in your car, turn it on, and your favorite guilty pleasure song BLASTS through the speakers. Your reaction to immediately turn the volume down is a system 1 function.
Even more basic System 1 functions would be completing the phrases, “bread and…” or “two peas in a…”
System 2: The Reflective System
System 2 is the thoughtful, deliberate and calculating part of the brain that is responsible for our individual decision making, reasoning, and beliefs. It deals with conscious activities of the mind, such as self-control, choices, and more deliberate focus of attention
Example: Quickly trying to focus on what excuse you are to give your friend in the front seat, as to why “Always be my Baby” is playing at full volume, is a system 2 function. (joke) yes, this is my guilty pleasure song and no, I’m not ashamed.
A runner at the starting line blocking out all distraction and bracing for the gun is another example.
System 2 requires focus and effort, while system 1 does not.
The relationship between the two systems determine how we behave.