Slowification
When an experienced driver drives in normal conditions, they are at ease. They make decisions without thinking about it. But when drivers are first learning to drive, they do it in slow controlled environments like an empty parking lot. Even when conditions deteriorate, the extensive experience of the seasoned driver may not be adequate to drive at full speed. We can’t drive on autopilot. In this situation, we must slow down and turn off distractions.
Fast Thinking vs. Slow Thinking (an excerpt from Wiring the Winning Organization)
All around us, we see the modern miracles that have been enabled by the incredible problem-solving capability of the human mind. Dr. Daniel Kahneman, 2002 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, and his colleague, the late Dr. Amos Tversky, distinguished between two thinking modes: System 1 (or fast thinking) and System 2 (or slow thinking).
When we’re under pressure, due to time or other factors, we are forced to depend on fast thinking (System 1) to generate answers quickly, these are our already-established heuristics, habits, preexisting routines, etc. (i.e., muscle memory).
We often use these established solutions when we are faced with Layer 1 and Layer 2 problems. In these situations, we depend on our prior experiences to understand the new problem or task in front of us (e.g., an injury being examined by a clinician, a material failure being examined by a technician).
We also use these fast-thinking habits and routines to quickly resolve Layer 3 (social circuitry) problems: What do we do? Where do we draw support from? Whom do we depend on? When and how do we escalate a problem for attention?
But there’s a downside to relying solely on fast thinking: it makes us more susceptible to poor decision-making. When we are thinking quickly, we are using only what we already know. Fast thinking doesn’t encourage or allow time to improve our thinking. This muscle memory works in situations for which we’ve practiced, but it fails us in situations that are unfamiliar.
For instance, when driving conditions are favorable, most of us can drive safely with relatively little thought. We make minor steering and speed adjustments almost automatically because our habits and preexisting routines are reliable. This frees up our brains to have conversations with our passengers, listen attentively to the radio or a podcast, or sing along with our favorite music.
But these fast-thinking skills were acquired over time. When we first learned to drive, everything had to be slow and deliberate. A more experienced driver showed us how to start the car, pull away from the curb, accelerate, and stop. And we likely learned to drive in an empty parking lot or street (a slower-moving, safer environment) where we could practice basic skills in a controlled, incremental, and instructed fashion. During practice, our skills progress until we are sufficiently competent in performance.
However, even with decades of experience, when driving conditions are not favorable, our fast-thinking habits and routines are less adequate. Suppose it’s dark and begins to rain, then pour. We can’t see how deep the puddles or potholes are. Even worse, what if the temperature drops, the rain turns to snow, and the road starts freezing over. In this situation, we can no longer drive on autopilot. To drive safely, we must slow down and turn off distractions. This helps us stay focused on navigating the increasingly difficult and treacherous driving conditions.
Of course, there are some people who can seemingly drive just fine in hazardous conditions, for example, stunt drivers, Formula 1 racers, and so forth. But this is a learned skill. Stunt drivers develop their exemplary capabilities over time in risk-controlled, repeatable, lower-stakes circumstances before filming the car chase or crash. Likewise, F1 racers develop their skills in their own planning and practice phases, where slow thinking can occur. This allows them to progress their capabilities so they are be able to perform at a higher level in a fast-thinking way.