Part 6/13:
Psychologists differentiate between two modes of thought: System 1, fast, automatic, and intuitive; and System 2, slow, effortful, and rational. Critical thinking resides in System 2, but modern tools and habits often keep this critical mode dormant. The Google effect—the tendency to forget information that can be easily looked up—exemplifies this shift toward mental laziness, where memorization and reflection give way to skimming headlines and trusting first results.
This reliance on quick solutions dulls our reasoning muscles, making us less capable of deep analysis and more susceptible to superficial understanding. Consequently, more complex issues are reduced to sound bites or meme-like snippets that lack nuance, further eroding our capacity for critical thought.