In his book, Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman introduces the concept of two systems in your brain that fight to occupy control of your behaviour and actions. The two systems can have varying names however most often are referenced as the automatic and conscious brain.
System 1 is the automatic brain and it is impulsive. It’s the part of the brain that is heavily linked to our survival. Stepping out of the way of a falling object, ducking when you hear a loud bang, head turn when you hear a strange noise, looking at your phone when the screen lights up. You don't necessarily think of these actions however the automatic brain does them as its impulsive survival instinct to keep you alive.
System 2 is the conscious brain which is aware and calculated.
This part is in control when you are having to process large bits of information and make complex decisions as a result.
The challenge is that these two systems are not a tag team that plan when each will take centre stage. They often fight for the control and and depending on who is in charge, will impact your responses, actions and behaviours.
It is important to recognise which brain is in control depending on the situation and your desired state. If you are in system 1 you may be thinking irrationally and believe something that’s not really happening. By being aware of this you then have a better chance at moving into system 2 If desired.
The Striver Band is used to trigger this recognition stage and begins your change process by bringing awareness to your current state. If unchecked you could be on route to a performance impacting decision that is informed by system 1 brain, which may not be ideal.
Here is the classic bat and ball problem that can be used as a great example of seeing which system is in charge currently.
A bat and a ball cost £1.10. The Bat costs £1 more than the ball.
How much does the ball cost?
The automatic brain (System 1) will convince you its £0.10 and it may take you a while to think differently.
The answer is the ball costs £0.05.
The bat would cost £1 more meaning £1.05 which when added to £0.05 gives you £1.10.
The reason this happens is that the automatic brain can perceive problems as simpler than they are. System 1 thinks it can handle it and reacts straight away.
The science is that our brain wants to use the least amount of energy it needs for each task (Law of least effort). System 1 therefore takes control most often with impulse.
This then brings us back to our Striver bands. These bands can visually remind us that we may need to focus and welcome to the stage system 2 for certain tasks. The reset trigger can activate our regulation to a more desired performance state that is more calculated, aware and conscious of behaviour.
Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it. - Daniel Kahneman
Another fun question is 77+33= ?
Some will automatically say 100 because system 1 goes straight to 7+3=10 however when system 2 is engaged you may think slowly and see the answer is 110.
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