In his bestseller, Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman outlined the two modes of thinking that he called System 1and System 2. Roughly speaking, System 1 mode consists of intellectual processes that are “hard-wired” into our psyche and are performed automatically, or with minimal effort. Our startled reaction to an unexpected loud noise or sexual arousal in response to a pheromone are examples of the System 1 mode, as are swinging a bat or catching a ball.
System 2 consists of activities that require full attention and often sustained mental effort, such as counting the number of words in a sentence or filling out a government form. Kahneman asserts that System 1 thinking is fast and frugal, i.e., it happens almost instantaneously and demands little cognitive energy. System 2, on the other hand, is slow, but systematic, requiring full attention and consuming significant mental energy. We can think of the System 1 mode of thinking as the visceral component of human intelligence, and System 2 as the cerebral component.
It is believed that the System 2 mode of thinking was a late development in the evolution of our brain as the prefrontal cortex emerged. Abstract thinking, such as expressing ideas in mathematical notation is a prime example of System 2 thinking, requiring intense focus and mental effort. Norman Doidge, psychiatrist and researcher at Columbia University, in his best-selling book The Brain’s Way of Healing, asserts that before the brain decides to undertake any activity, it performs a kind of assessment of the energy required and the dopamine reward resulting from the activity. Quoting from the work of fellow researcher, Pietro Mazzoni, he states, “The motor system has its own motivation circuit … we propose that stratal dopamine also energizes action in a more literal sense, namely by assigning a value to the energetic cost of moving.” In other words, doing mathematics draws heavily on the brain’s supply of glucose, so people aren’t willing to expend the effort unless the dopamine release provides enough reward. That is why people are reluctant to do mathematics when they are tired. By contrast, those who love mathematics are constantly seeking the dopamine high that they receive when they have a Eureka! moment–an insight that reveals the solution of a problem. The good news is that the more you do mathematics, the easier it becomes and the more often you emerge on the positive side of the effort-reward equation!
You can learn more at: https://www.intelligence-and-iq.com/mathematics-is-difficult-is-it-worth-the-effort/
