Dual-System Thinking (System 1 / System 2)

Overview

Two parallel modes: System 1 — fast, automatic, effortless (pattern recognition, gut feel). System 2 — slow, deliberate, effortful (analysis, computation, critical evaluation). System 1 runs ~95% of decisions by default; System 2 engages only when recruited. Most cognitive biases are System 1 shortcuts misapplied where System 2 should have intervened.

Composes with metacognition, every cognitive-bias skill (anchoring, confirmation-bias, availability-heuristic, etc.), deep-work, and wu-wei.

When to Use

• Decision feels obvious and is high-stakes; unfamiliar domain + fast intuition; time pressure on consequential matter; team converging without stress-test; depleted (tired/hungry/pressured)
• Designing a process or interface that depends on user attention
• Acting on a fast, fluent, confident AI/LLM answer (AI adoption, AI hype, "the AI said so") on a high-stakes call — when to force slow verification of a confident machine response

Not when: routine low-stakes decisions; calibrated expert System 1 in this exact domain; emergency requiring speed.

Coaching Novices (Adaptive Front Door)