When faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one. It’s a mental shortcut our brains take, and Kahneman’s genius was in spotting this subtle substitution we all make without realizing it.
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Meaning
Our brains are wired to conserve energy, so when a complex problem arises, we unconsciously swap it for a simpler, related one and answer that instead.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. This isn’t about being lazy. It’s about the core architecture of your mind. You have two systems: the fast, intuitive one (System 1) and the slow, analytical one (System 2). The difficult question requires System 2. But System 1 is always on, and it’s eager to help. So it quickly reframes the hard question into an easy one it can handle and serves you that answer. The crazy part? You usually don’t even notice the switch. You walk away thinking you’ve solved the complex problem, but you’ve only solved a proxy for it. It’s the source of so many cognitive biases.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Education (260) |
| Topics | bias (25), thinking (18) |
| Literary Style | analytical (121) |
| Emotion / Mood | calm (491) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This concept comes straight from Daniel Kahneman’s landmark 2011 book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” It was published in the United States and synthesizes decades of his research with Amos Tversky. You won’t find this as a standalone quote from a speech; it’s a central thesis of the book itself.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Daniel Kahneman (54) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Thinking, Fast and Slow (54) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Dr Daniel Kahneman transformed how we think about thinking. Trained in Israel and at UC Berkeley, he built a career spanning Hebrew University, UBC, UC Berkeley, and Princeton. His partnership with Amos Tversky produced prospect theory and the heuristics-and-biases program, culminating in the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. He engaged broad audiences through bestselling books and practical frameworks for better decisions. He continued writing and advising late into life, leaving ideas that shape economics, policy, medicine, and management. If you want to dive deeper, start with the Dr Daniel Kahneman book list and explore his enduring insights.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | When faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2011; ISBN: 9780374275631; Latest Edition: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013; Number of pages: 499. |
| Where is it? | Part I: Two Systems, Chapter 9: Answering an Easier Question, Approximate page 97 (2013 edition) |