individuals: some people are more like their System 2; others are closer to
their System 1. This simple test has emerged as one of the better
predictors of laztestors of ly thinking.
Keith Stanovich and his longtime collaborator Richard West originally
introduced the terms System 1 and System 2 (they now prefer to speak of
Type 1 and Type 2 processes). Stanovich and his colleagues have spent
decades studying differences among individuals in the kinds of problems
with which this book is concerned. They have asked one basic question in
many different ways: What makes some people more susceptible than
others to biases of judgment? Stanovich published his conclusions in a
book titled Rationality and the Reflective Mind , which offers a bold and
distinctive approach to the topic of this chapter. He draws a sharp
distinction between two parts of System 2—indeed, the distinction is so
sharp that he calls them separate “minds.” One of these minds (he calls it
algorithmic) deals with slow thinking and demanding computation. Some
people are better than others in these tasks of brain power—they are the
individuals who excel in intelligence tests and are able to switch from one
task to another quickly and efficiently. However, Stanovich argues that high
intelligence does not make people immune to biases. Another ability is
involved, which he labels rationality. Stanovich’s concept of a rational
person is similar to what I earlier labeled “engaged.” The core of his
argument is that rationality should be distinguished from intelligence. In
his view, superficial or “lazy” thinking is a flaw in the reflective mind, a
failure of rationality. This is an attractive and thought-provoking idea. In
support of it, Stanovich and his colleagues have found that the bat-and-ball
question and others like it are somewhat better indicators of our
susceptibility to cognitive errors than are conventional measures of
intelligence, such as IQ tests. Time will tell whether the distinction between
intelligence and rationality can lead to new discoveries.

Speaking of Control

“She did not have to struggle to stay on task for hours. She was in

a state of flow .”

“His ego was depleted after a long day of meetings. So he just

turned to standard operating procedures instead of thinking

through the problem.”