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The Brain's Fast and Slow Thinking


Our brain processes information through fast and slow thinking. During the first half of the semester we focused a lot on how we perceive information, and what is occurring in our brains as we are taking it all in.
The video begins as it shows a basic contrast between fast and slow thinking. Something that would take a matter of seconds to draw a conclusion would be fast thinking, such as looking at a picture and analyzing the situation at hand. In contrast, a complex math problem would utilize slow thinking as our brains are working out the problem; it is not automatically known. The video emphasizes how our fast thinking is quick to make assumptions without looking deeply enough into a situation. It is up to us to let our conscious system (slow thinking) compensate and deeper analyze. This is seen with optical illusions. We need to use our conscious system to sort these illusions out for what they really are. Learning this importance of conscious thinking shows us that our first thoughts and impressions are not always valid.
In continuation, it is also important to note that fast thinking is based off of our experiences and what we already know. This is why it is so quick to make assumptions. Another fact that I found interesting in the video was that when we are experiencing slow (conscious) thinking, our pupils dilate, our heart rate increases, and we tend to become very tense. This all goes to show how there is a lot more going on than we are ever aware of. After watching this video viewers now know the differences on fast and slow thinking, as well as how and when our brain utilizes them.

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