Assignment 27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

Reading Reflection No. 3

Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman

• What was the general theme or argument of the book?

1. The idea of the book is that there is two different parts of the brain that control different functions and are tying to control your behavior and actions. The book tries to teach you that there are times when you can trust your gut feeling and other times when you need to think. The two different systems in the brain are conscious and automatic. The brain is also what keeps you lazy and does not allow for the full potential of your intelligence. The book also points out which is one of the most interesting parts is that when you are trying to make choices about finances, it is not time for emotions.

• How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT.

1. The book connects in the sense that we are trying to make choices when it comes to our business. We would want to make wise choices about business that would keep us making a profit and make it be successful. This book tries to teach you how you can control the way that your brain naturally thinks so that you can rationally make the best choices for yourself. I know that I tend to be more impulsive when it comes to making decisions and buying things that are smaller choices but when it comes to bigger life choices, I tend to be indecisive. So when it comes to money for a business and exerting self-control to focus on what will yield the best results.

• If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

1. For this I would have the class take a sheet of white paper and divide it into two. One that is where that has the choices we make rationally and irrationally. So the students would be putting down what they believe are choices that should be rational even if they don't make them that way. Then they would pick a rational decision and make a pros and cons life so they know how to think things through and why it is important for life.

• What was your biggest surprise or "aha" moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectation?

1. I just think that as a college student that is now really being aware of my own finances I need to really understand that money can run out and it is scary to scramble later to make ends meet. In the book he describes that people are more aware of losing the money that they get then they are being about getting more. Which is weird to think about because I feel like I am always trying to find more ways to make more money but I always want to protect what I have because it feels like it could be taken from me at anytime. He calls caring less about moeny the more that you have is called diminishing sensitivity principle.