Which Is Better, Thinking Fast Or Slow? Here's The Expert's Explanation

Which illustration is better to think fast or think slow (Unsplash/Remi Turcotte)

YOGYAKARTA – The way a person thinks in making decisions is generally divided into two styles. Fast thinking which is prone to bias and slow thinking which drains time and energy. So of the two thinking styles, which one is better and more useful?

Reported by Psychology Today, Friday, May 27, a quick and intuitive approach to thinking, often governed by emotional responses, habits, or instincts. The advantage of fast thinkers is that they can come up with solutions quickly but are prone to general decision bias and reasoning errors. Slow thinkers, on the other hand, are more aware of different options. The advantage of slow thinkers is that they produce more targeted and accurate results but are associated with higher cognitive effort.

Which illustration is better to think fast or think slow (Unsplash/Sean Kong)

In everyday life, 'slow' is often negatively associated. Even used to describe abilities or intelligence below average. Interestingly, the experiment by Eva Krockow, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Leicester, took a 'slow thinker' approach as a better thinking style. What is the reason?

Krockow provides an overview of the context of thinking. When everyday, you can choose work clothes intuitively and quickly. Moreover, you consciously know that there is no meeting schedule, so casual clothes are the majority and immediate choice. But when it comes to wedding moments, it takes you a long time to build context awareness and then choose the wedding attire.

So which is better, thinking sooner or later? Neither is better between the two, but according to Krockow, it is necessary to strike a balance on the basis of context and efficiency. Instead of trying to identify a better thinking style, the challenge is finding a balance.

When you need to make a decision quickly and have to think fast, then thinking slow is too risky. However, when you need mindfulness in making decisions, you can build awareness by realistically identifying each possibility. Because, sacrificing time and energy to constantly think is not impossible to put your mental health at risk.