System 1, System 2

Several years ago I became interested in the process of decision making. At the time I was starting to take more photographs for other brokers and also doing some website design. I thought if I understood how Buyers made decisions about housing purchases I could build better websites and take photos with strong resonance for Buyers. I read a number of books and papers (the latent academic streak at work). Among them were papers by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky.

As you know from this blog, I'm increasingly troubled by the apparent inability of people from most walks of life to make apparently rational decisions about energy use and the future of Earth. Consumers, those in government and those in the corporate sector are not performing in a way that creates much optimism for the quality of life to be experienced by coming generations.

I purchased Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow just over a year ago and never got around to reading it. I always have 3-4 books going and Thinking Fast and Slow just never made it into the mix, I think because the book is of substantial size and rich content. I knew it was going to be slow going and it was a busy year--best for quick reads, if not for optimal effect.

A few days ago I was looking at the smallish pile of unread books for the next read--to follow Visualizing Climate Change (a BIG book indeed!). I had the idea that Kahnman's System 1 and System 2 might offer a platform for understanding why Climate Change decisions aren't going very well and, more importantly, how to get System 2 fired up more often in confronting choices affecting the Earth.

I anticipate a nexus between the visualization elements able to alter behavior and System 1/System 2.

That's a brief background for some upcoming posts---if it sounds interesting, read the Visualization of Climate Change and Thinking Fast and Slow. A thorough understanding of those two books will move the reader well along a path to the cutting edge of Climate Change psychology. It will also demonstrate the failure of our various institutions to meaningfully engage the real challenges ahead.