We are more limited than we realise, which means we should use the energy pools of our minds and bodies selectively and aimed towards producing the best results. We all know that our ability to concentrate to the fullest capacity is limited to a certain time period, after which our minds get tired, and it becomes more and more difficult to pay attention. This is because we have a limited budget of concentration, memory and deliberate thought available to us. The way in which you use this personal budget makes all the difference in regard to evaluating that which is in front of you before acting. An old Chinese proverb goes: “Any man who could concentrate for as much as three minutes on any given problem could rule the world.”

Daniel Kahneman’s Two Systems

Daniel Kahneman, writer of the bestseller Thinking, Fast and Slow, teaches us of two systems of thought that encompasses the workings of the human mind. He refers to these as “System 1 and System 2.” System 1 is a system of impressions, intuitions and immediate reactions. These are thoughts that are effortlessly and randomly derived from an archive of data stored in your memory banks. System 1 would run wild if it wasn’t for System 2. System 2 has the power to critically evaluate these drawn files. All our thoughts are born from this personal archive but the second system has the ability to control, organise and even go against the intuitive reactions of System 1. System 2 enables us to remember, especially on short-term, concentrate and produce deliberate thought. The biggest difference between the two systems is that the one requires various levels of effort, while the other is completely effortless.

The second system is the topic of interest here. This is the part of our minds that has its share in the energy pool, or energy budget allowance.

The “Law of Least Effort”: Be Skilled and Save

Head under water, our first reaction is to come up for air. On second thought, we might just realise we have the ability to hold our breath a little while, and challenge ourselves to stay in the water for longer.

Kahneman introduces “the Law of least effort”. As it turns out, laziness is unfortunately innate in us all, some just manage it better than others. This law applies to both thought and action, where we would choose the easiest option. The secret to overcoming this innate laziness is simply to decrease effort. Major pressure areas when required to concentrate, is when multiple tasks require your attention, when you need to practise self-control, and when these tasks need to be performed within a specified time frame. Concentration under these circumstances is of the most ‘expensive’ type.

You are put on the spot by a difficult and unexpected question. It is difficult to “think on your feet”. What we know now is that it is actually not as System 1 will kick in to respond, but what you want is for System 2 to respond to this question with an intelligent and insightful answer. So how do you win in such a situation?

When having studied for a math exam, answering questions and solving problems are easy because you have practised the formulae, and thus are skilled in them. The person who did not study will have to concentrate much harder, often experiencing anxiety and fear. For this person, concentration is split between trying to remember how to solve the problem, actually trying to solve it, and supressing the anxiety and fear of failing the exam.

Training yourself to be skilled at something decreases the level of effort required to make a decision, solve an equation, complete a task etc. You ‘save’ by minimizing effort and maximizing skill, and the more you ‘save’, the more there is to ‘spend’. Practise makes perfect, and easy, and most importantly it grants other subjects that require your attention a chance at perfection as well.

Prioritising the Most Important Attention Seekers

Try keeping your eyes open when sneezing. Now try holding your balance on a balance beam while trying to remember your second grade teacher’s birthday.

It doesn’t work. Some tasks just can’t be performed at the same time because it requires an amount of energy that exceeds your budget. The subject of activity that is assigned priority will receive the most attention in a situation where other tasks are competing for attention. The problem is that your intuitive System 1 thinking will most probably assign such priority. It therefore needs continual evaluation and even scrutiny.

Too Clever to be Kind

Ever wondered why your cousin the rocket scientist is so damn rude to everyone? We often assign rudeness to insecurity in people, but here’s another explanation. People who are continually caught up in deliberate thought and who can’t ‘shut-down’ often display socially inappropriate behaviour. They are often awkward when having to engage in conversation. That is because System 2 is either continuously occupied or depleted as a result.

Wasting Away

Then we come to wasting precious energy on crap. Revenge, regret, embarrassment, disappointment, resentment – these are high level energy consumers. Being heavy-loaded emotions they take a lot out of you, but what makes them worse our tendency to obsess over them.  A typical revenge plan will run through your mind over and over and over again. Resentments can cause you weeks of sleepless nights – the emotions we feel can be emphasised by our thoughts in a way that can make it 100% worse than it is. How much time do you spend on choosing a new toothbrush at the supermarket? Because it should not take you longer than the time it takes you to brush your teeth. You can’t afford to spend your entire budget on hating someone, and you cannot waste time on making choices about trivial things that won’t make any real difference to your life.

Knowing your limits will allow you to use your resources wisely. You can be selective in which tasks you will invest the most effort in, which problem is worth solving first, which of the two articles are worth remembering.  To “think before you do” is as simple as having Kahneman’s System 2 regulate System 1 and having System 1 obey system 2. So in actuality, the phrase should go “Think, and then think again, before you do.” And the benefits? Chances are you will never have to work very hard, if you work smart.


This article was inspired by the book "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman (2011).


Carla van Straten is a Writer for Sound Idea Digital | carla@soundidea.co.za | www.soundidea.co.za