Frank, I wanted to like the book Dyson references -- Thinking Fast and Slow. I even sent you a link to it. But halfway through I had to put it down because I had a nagging feeling, not yet a snap judgment, which soon coalesced into a reasoned judgment: so what?
So we all reach snap judgments which may be right and may be wrong?
And Dr. Kehneman (who is, I am sure a good and honorable man -- or maybe not) proved it by experiments that frankly, as with most cognitive experiments, would be subject to a sea of variables were they not so dumbed down and rigourously simplified? The problem there -- briefly put -- it seems to me, is simple experiments in this area can only lead to simple conclusions -- we all reach snap judgments which may be right or may be wrong. (Oh, and the good Doctor also noticed you can control those judgments by placing the subject in a controlled environment.)
Back to the drawing board...I think some Greek or Roman may have said the same thing as Dr. Kehneman-- after all Freud's model, Oedipus was a Greek hero (and play, if my poor education rightly influences me to make that snap judgment.)
Hi Joe, Well, I think what may be overlooked, in both book and article, is that you have to learn to think, which also means learning to observe, and weigh evidence, draw proper inferences, in order to arrive at reasonable conclusions. Does anyone think that snap judgments are necessarily better than deliberative ones? I doubt it. On the other hand, everyone knows that even the most deliberative decision may turn out to be wrong.
Frank, I wanted to like the book Dyson references -- Thinking Fast and Slow. I even sent you a link to it. But halfway through I had to put it down because I had a nagging feeling, not yet a snap judgment, which soon coalesced into a reasoned judgment: so what?
ReplyDeleteSo we all reach snap judgments which may be right and may be wrong?
And Dr. Kehneman (who is, I am sure a good and honorable man -- or maybe not) proved it by experiments that frankly, as with most cognitive experiments, would be subject to a sea of variables were they not so dumbed down and rigourously simplified? The problem there -- briefly put -- it seems to me, is simple experiments in this area can only lead to simple conclusions -- we all reach snap judgments which may be right or may be wrong. (Oh, and the good Doctor also noticed you can control those judgments by placing the subject in a controlled environment.)
Back to the drawing board...I think some Greek or Roman may have said the same thing as Dr. Kehneman-- after all Freud's model, Oedipus was a Greek hero (and play, if my poor education rightly influences me to make that snap judgment.)
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteWell, I think what may be overlooked, in both book and article, is that you have to learn to think, which also means learning to observe, and weigh evidence, draw proper inferences, in order to arrive at reasonable conclusions. Does anyone think that snap judgments are necessarily better than deliberative ones?
I doubt it. On the other hand, everyone knows that even the most deliberative decision may turn out to be wrong.