Take a look at the question below and see whether you can figure out the answer: If you’re running a race and you pass the person in second place, what place are you in?
The quiz is deceivingly simple, but there is a little twist. The reason for this question design is not to cheat people, but to figure out natural differences in their thinking styles. More specifically, the test aims to establish whether the quizzer is more of a fast, intuitive thinker or a slow, reflective thinker.
After reading the question, an intuitive answer is likely to be: Since only one place is better than second place, if passing the person in second place, surely you’d be first. In comparison, a slower, more reflective thinker might realize that by passing the person in second place, one person is still in front of you, making you the runner-up.
System 1 is a fast and intuitive approach, which is often ruled by emotional responses, habits or instincts. It has the advantage of creating fast solutions but typically tends to make common reasoning errors. System 2 describes a slow and careful approach, which includes more measured reflection on different choices. It has the advantage of leading to more purposeful results but is also connected with the cost of higher mental effort.
The test question intended to measure people’s preferences of one thinking style over the other. However, in fact, most people use a mixture of System 1 and System 2 approaches, with the context determining which system is more influential. The relative importance of a task and the amount of time available to make a choice can both influence how you think.
With this in mind, we may have to look back on our first question. Rather than trying to identify the better thinking style, the challenge appears to be one of finding balance. Knowing when to think fast and when to think slow might be the real game changer for lifting productivity and success.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “deceivingly” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Seemingly. | B．Extremely. |
| C．Heavily. | D．Strangely. |
| A．They are worse at running races. |
| B．They are more likely to make mistakes. |
| C．They are easily influenced by emotions. |
| D．They often think twice about everything. |
| A．It’s difficult to change one’s thinking style. |
| B．Reflective thinking outweighs intuitive thinking. |
| C．One’s thinking style is determined by certain factors. |
| D．People usually prefer one thinking style to the other. |
| A．Figuring out the better thinking style. |
| B．Changing the game rules to your advantage. |
| C．Striking a balance between work and play. |
| D．Adapting the thinking style to the situation. |
