Metacognition
"The crucial skill, scientists are now saying, is the ability to think about your own thinking, or metacognition, as it is known. Unless people vigilantly reflect on how they are making an important decision, they won't be able to properly use their instincts, or know when their gut should be ignored. Indeed, according to this emerging new vision of decision-making, the best predictor of good judgment isn't intuition or experience or intelligence. Rather, it's the willingness to engage in introspection, to cultivate what Philip Tetlock, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, calls "the art of self-overhearing...
Given the distinct talents of these different types of thought - the brain is like a Swiss army knife, stuffed full of tools - scientists argue that it's imperative for powerful decision-makers to constantly reflect on their own thought process. The best decisions occur when people take the time to study their decision-making process, and not just the decision itself. In other words, don't simply focus on the alternatives - reflect on how those alternatives are being considered. The end result is decisions that are more likely to be made in the right frame of mind.
One of the best ways for a president to maintain control of the decision-making process is to surround himself with advisers willing to criticize his decisions. "Psychologists spend a lot of time focusing on individual abilities," says Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at the University of Virginia. "But what's even more important is the type of environment that's set up around a president. A leader who encourages a diversity of viewpoints" - and Haidt argues that presidents should fill the cabinet with advisers from both parties - "is going to make much more effective decisions."
That's also the moral of "Team of Rivals," the best-selling history of the Lincoln presidency by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She argues that it was Lincoln's ability to deal with conflicting points of view - he filled his cabinet with rival politicians with different ideologies - that made him such a remarkable president and leader. Before making a decision, Lincoln insisted on vigorous debate and discussion. Although several members of the cabinet initially assumed that Lincoln was weak-willed and indecisive, they eventually realized that his ability to tolerate dissent was an enormous asset. As Secretary of State William Seward said, 'The president is the best of us.'
Unfortunately, some scientists worry that the act of running for president discourages politicians from developing these metacognitive skills. On the campaign trail, a confession of doubt or admission of error is often instant fodder for an attack ad; equivocation has become a faux pas. As a result, politicians tend to lapse into the easy language of certainty."
-Jonah Lehrer
Given the distinct talents of these different types of thought - the brain is like a Swiss army knife, stuffed full of tools - scientists argue that it's imperative for powerful decision-makers to constantly reflect on their own thought process. The best decisions occur when people take the time to study their decision-making process, and not just the decision itself. In other words, don't simply focus on the alternatives - reflect on how those alternatives are being considered. The end result is decisions that are more likely to be made in the right frame of mind.
One of the best ways for a president to maintain control of the decision-making process is to surround himself with advisers willing to criticize his decisions. "Psychologists spend a lot of time focusing on individual abilities," says Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at the University of Virginia. "But what's even more important is the type of environment that's set up around a president. A leader who encourages a diversity of viewpoints" - and Haidt argues that presidents should fill the cabinet with advisers from both parties - "is going to make much more effective decisions."
That's also the moral of "Team of Rivals," the best-selling history of the Lincoln presidency by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She argues that it was Lincoln's ability to deal with conflicting points of view - he filled his cabinet with rival politicians with different ideologies - that made him such a remarkable president and leader. Before making a decision, Lincoln insisted on vigorous debate and discussion. Although several members of the cabinet initially assumed that Lincoln was weak-willed and indecisive, they eventually realized that his ability to tolerate dissent was an enormous asset. As Secretary of State William Seward said, 'The president is the best of us.'
Unfortunately, some scientists worry that the act of running for president discourages politicians from developing these metacognitive skills. On the campaign trail, a confession of doubt or admission of error is often instant fodder for an attack ad; equivocation has become a faux pas. As a result, politicians tend to lapse into the easy language of certainty."
-Jonah Lehrer
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