Fast Thinking, Slow Thinking
Fast Thinking, Slow Thinking
Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, introduced the concept of fast thinking and slow thinking in his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow." He describes two systems of thinking - system 1 (fast thinking) and system 2 (slow thinking). System 1 is intuitive, automatic, and impulsive, while system 2 is deliberate, logical, and effortful. Younger people tend to rely more on system 1, reacting quickly without much forethought, while older people often engage system 2, carefully analyzing situations before making decisions.
This is a well-known pattern in psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience. As people age, they accumulate experience and wisdom, which leads them to be more deliberate, careful, and patient in their approach to work, creation, and decision-making. Younger individuals, on the other hand, tend to be more impulsive, take risks, and seek quick gratification due to their less developed prefrontal cortex and lack of experience.
Think of a house construction project under tight deadlines. An inexperienced, young construction worker rushes to build the house without proper planning or measurements. They hastily cut the boards, slap them together, and move on to the next task. In contrast, an experienced, older worker takes their time to measure twice and ensure everything fits perfectly. While the younger worker may appear faster initially, it results in wasted materials and rework, causing delays in the long run. Sooner or later, someone else has to come in and fix their mistakes. The older worker's slow and deliberate approach leads to a well-built house without the need for corrections or problems down the line. Both workers were under the same deadline pressure, but the older worker's slow thinking approach resulted in a better outcome.
Wisdom vs. Impulsivity
As people age, they accumulate experience and wisdom. They have learned from past mistakes and understand that rushing often leads to poor results - even under tight deadlines. Younger individuals, by contrast, have less experience and tend to be more impulsive. They have not yet internalized the consequences of hasty actions, so they are more likely to prioritize speed over quality.
Prefrontal Cortex Development
The prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and long-term planning—does not fully develop until around age 25. This means younger people are biologically wired to be more impulsive, take risks, and seek quick gratification. Older people, with fully developed brains, rely more on deliberate thinking and planning rather than impulse-driven actions.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
Younger people often experience the Dunning-Kruger Effect, where they overestimate their abilities due to a lack of experience. Because they don’t yet know how complex things can be, they assume that a task can be done quickly and easily. Older people, having seen many things go wrong in their lifetime, know that things are often more complicated than they appear. They take their time because they anticipate potential problems.
Instant Gratification vs. Delayed Gratification
Younger people are drawn to instant gratification—they want results now, even if those results are low quality. Older people have developed patience and the ability to delay gratification. They understand that better results take time. The famous Marshmallow Experiment (Stanford, 1972) showed that children who could wait for a better reward later (delayed gratification) tended to be more successful in life.
Experience Teaches the Value of Caution
Young people often haven’t failed enough to appreciate the consequences of rushing. Older people, having seen things fall apart due to haste, have learned from experience that patience and thorough planning lead to better results.
Cultural and Philosophical Views on Patience
Stoicism (Ancient Greece & Rome) teaches that wisdom comes with time and that impulsivity leads to mistakes. Zen Buddhism emphasizes slowness, mindfulness, and careful attention to detail. Taoism promotes "Wu Wei" (effortless action), which suggests that moving slowly and deliberately is often the most effective way to accomplish something.
Conclusion
The well known saying "slow is fast and fast is slow" captures the essence of this phenomenon. While younger people may appear faster initially, older people's slow and deliberate approach leads to better results both in the short and long term. Think of a surgeon under a deadline (literally). He has to work as fast as he can to save the life but he also cannot work faster than he can. Younger, less experienced people end up paying the price for their haste through rework, corrections, and delays. Older, more experienced individuals understand the value of taking their time, planning carefully, and doing things right the first time. This pattern has been observed across cultures, disciplines, and age groups, highlighting the importance of wisdom, patience, and careful thinking in all aspects of life.