In psychology, there are two methods of thinking that affect everyone in every situation. This is the philosophy of System 1 and System 2 – or in simpler terms, Fast Thinking and Slow Thinking. Now, these two tenants are predicated on your upbringing, your environment, what you ingest into your subconscious mind, and our general word-view. They are essential the building blocks of all the decisions you make and the consequences you ultimately live with.

At one end of the spectrum, System 1 runs automatically, based on your presuppositions and habits you’ve adopted over time. It takes the sum of all experiences in their categorized subsections, and comes up with a quick solution, that is quick and concise. That in itself sounds tantalizing, considering our proclivity/inclination to get things done fast, but that same train of thought can cause heartache and a host of mistakes, since we are not really intentional with what we say or do, and in the case of a Christian, don’t allow the Holy Spirit to inspire and direct us down the true and definitive path of righteousness.

On the other end of the spectrum, System 2 is slower in the way in which it produces results and interrogates information. It dives deep down into the subconscious mind and questions what is presented, and formulates a meticulous chain of steps to execute a more robust plan.

With those two ideologies contending for dominance in theater of your mind, how do we act out both ends effectively and efficiently? As always, that answer can be found in the Word of God.