Limitations of the Unconscious Mind (Level 1)

Key Insight

The unconscious mind, or Level 1, exhibits significant shortcomings in decision-making, often likened to an 'impulsive, immature goof ball' as opposed to a 'mature, reflective' conscious mind. It is notoriously unreliable in memory, reweaving information rather than retrieving it directly. For instance, in a study on the Challenger explosion, 25 percent of 106 students gave entirely different accounts of their location two and a half years later, and less than 10 percent remembered with real accuracy. Between 1989 and 2007, 77 percent of 201 US prisoners exonerated by DNA evidence had been convicted based on mistaken eyewitness accounts.

Level 1 is highly sensitive to context, with current feelings profoundly influencing mental activities. Research shows good moods improve peripheral vision. Doctors given candy detected a liver problem faster than those who received nothing. Weather affects reported happiness, with sunny days increasing positive global perspectives on life, unless consciously acknowledged. In an experiment, 65 percent of men who crossed a rickety bridge and met a woman called her later, attributing their bridge-induced excitement to her, compared to only 30 percent of men who met her on a stable bench. The unconscious is also impulsive, prioritizing immediate gratification, such as desiring a donut despite long-term weight loss goals.

The unconscious mind quickly forms patterns, even where none exist, like the unfounded belief in 'hot and cold streaks' in basketball shooters. It also readily forms stereotypes; subjects guessed a 'truck driver' to be heavier than a 'dancer.' Project Implicit found 90 percent of people show unconscious racial bias, with even more profound prejudices against the elderly. Furthermore, Level 1 is poor at math: when asked to solve for the pen cost in a $1.10 pen-and-pad problem where the pad is $1 more than the pen, it often incorrectly suggests 10 cents instead of 5 cents. This leads to disproportionate fears of rare but spectacular threats, like planes, over more common dangers, such as cars or playground equipment, which injure nearly 10 times more people annually than chain saws.