Reading Reflection No. 2

• What was the general theme or argument of the book?
• The general theme or argument of this book is that there are two main systems of thought that determine our approaches to problems and how that directly relates to emotionally or logically looking at a situation.

• How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
• Time management and interpersonal skills are two things I learned about most in this course. The requirements of the assignments (finding people willing to be interviewed, multiple interviews, etc.) required a focused approach, in regard to time management. Kahneman’s book brushes up on

the approach of an instinctive emotional approach compared to a logical

approach. I am able to identify the areas in my academics where unconsciously make instinctive decisions compared to other areas, where I take a more focused approach, such as time management. 

• If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
• An exercise for this class, based on the book I read would include some form of tracking where students monitor their daily activities, down to the most specific details. For example, I would want students to be able to identify how much of their daily lives are taken up by emotional and instinctive decision making (System 1) compared to a logical and focused approach decision making (System 2).  Students would track every decision/action they make (even including simple things like the order in which you brush your teeth, from putting on the toothpaste to wetting the brush).

Ideally, students would be able to identify the importance of both systems and possibly identify areas in their lives where they may find it more beneficial to adopt the other system. 

• What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
• The biggest aha moment from this text would be in reference to the section about regret. Kahneman describes regret as a punishment that we place on ourselves that has major effects on the way we approach decisions and opportunities in the future. People who use System 2 to approach life’s daily activities are more likely to avoid decisions that could possibly lead to regret, limiting their opportunities in life. I found this to be an aha moment, simply because of how much I can relate to it. We often take instinctive behaviors for granted but the reality is that they provide us with a relatively stress and risk-free approach, whereas logical thinking and decision making can easily result in something going wrong, resulting in regret and hesitation in the future. It was interesting to see how much both systems play off one another and how much they rely on each other.