Introduction

Key Insight

Chapter number 2: Flow

Introduction

● The brain has two modes of operation.

○ “Slow” thinking (aka flow, deep focus) - consumes more energy (sugar) and is slower, but yields far better results. It uses logic, analysis, creativity, deep thinking, extrapolation, understanding. Not necessary for some simple tasks, and the brain wants to shift as much thinking as possible to “fast” thinking.

○ “Fast” thinking - Fast thinking is more subconscious, automatic, instinctive, reflexive, roughly, but it is much faster and uses a lot less energy (sugar). It uses heuristics (learned templates) and not logic and analysis, so it can very often give a “false positive” (false positive), especially in situations when we are in a poor psychophysical state (sleep-deprived, tired, hungry, poorly/unknown environment, ego and beliefs under threat).

● The brain constantly tries to optimize energy consumption, and tries to use as much as possible fast thinking, because evolutionarily that was correct, and rational energy consumption was important for survival (however no longer).

● What is our task? To create conditions, circumstances, habits and routines so that the brain spends as much time as possible in “slow” thinking or flow!