People unaware of their own biases pose a clear threat to quality decision making. And we have discussed biases several times in the past. However, biases are also a result of our need to minimise energy spent on the thinking process. We will see what this means.
Scientists have hypothesised an explanation for this phenomenon along the lines of cognitive operations of the human system. They classify two types of thinking processes. They are 1) System one or intuitive thinking and 2) System two or reflective thinking.
In the first case, our actions flow effortlessly. Such as eating a piece of cake! Since we have evolved this way, it is not a complete surprise that energy-saving conserving modes of thinking got the default status (the brain consumes 20% of the body’s energy).
Reflective thinking, on the other hand, requires more energy. These are deliberate and slow, and you do it when the stakes are high. The primary focus is to reduce error, and therefore you are willing to spend your valuable energy. Remember our past as hungry hunter-gatherers.
To give an example, when someone learns how to ride a bike, “a very risky affair”, she is in system-two mode. A year later, as a master biker now, riding is her second nature, and it is now a system one process.
