Disciplining Intuition

Slow Down

Beware of Anecdotes

Feedback

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Structure Your Environment

DiscipliningIntuition

Check for Biases

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2

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Create Regular Habits of Self-Examination

Kahneman warns against relying solely on compelling anecdotes when forming beliefs, as they might not represent the norm.

Beware of Anecdotes

Regular and clear feedback is crucial. People can improve their intuitive abilities in environments where they receive immediate and consistent feedback about the accuracy of their judgments. To catch error in your thinking and assumptions seek out regular feedback from trusted friends and colleagues.

Feedback

One of the central ways to discipline intuition is to slow down decision-making, especially in unfamiliar situations. Engaging the deliberate and analytical System 2 can help in evaluating whether one's intuition is to be trusted.

Slow Down

Structuring your environment with visual cues, like goal reminders and decision-making criteria, aids in disciplining intuition by promoting conscious thought. These cues serve as constant reminders of your long-term objectives, guiding you to evaluate your intuitions more critically. Over time, they can help you establish a habit of making decisions aligned with your goals, rather than succumbing to impulsive gut reactions.

Structure Your Environment

Kahneman suggests actively looking for signs of cognitive biases that might influence intuitive judgments. By being aware of these biases, one can counteract them. This is precisely why we’ve studied them in this module!

Check for Biases

Building habits of self-examination, such as meditation and mindfulness, encourages thoughtful and deliberate decision-making. These practices enable you to observe your intuitions as they arise without immediately acting on them. By creating a pause before action, they help you to evaluate whether your intuitions are based on sound reasoning or are merely impulsive reactions, thus leading to more disciplined and rational choices.

Create Regular Habits of Self-Examination