When you are asked what you think about Meaning Factcheck Usage

When you are asked what you think about something, your answer is often based on what you feel. It’s a simple truth that reveals how our minds really work, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

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Table of Contents

• Meaning
• Explanation
• Origin & Factcheck
• Context
• Usage Examples
• FAQ

Meaning

It means our “rational” thoughts are frequently just emotional reactions in disguise. We feel first, and then we construct a logical-sounding story to justify that feeling.

Explanation

Look, here’s the thing. We like to believe we’re these perfectly rational creatures, weighing pros and cons before we make a decision. But Kahneman’s research, which I’ve seen play out in marketing and user behavior for years, shows that’s mostly a story we tell ourselves. The reality is, our fast, intuitive, emotional brain—what he calls System 1—makes a snap judgment. It’s a gut feeling. Then, our slower, more deliberate System 2 brain comes in after the fact and cooks up a rational explanation for a choice that was already made. It’s not lying, per se. It’s just post-rationalizing. So when someone asks for your opinion, you’re often just reporting the conclusion of a process you weren’t even consciously aware of.

Quote Summary

Context	Attributes
Original Language	English (4111)
Category	Emotion (192)
Topics	decision (43), emotion general (116), feelings (6)
Literary Style	conversational (18)
Emotion / Mood	provocative (175)
Overall Quote Score	82 (323)

Origin & Factcheck

This insight comes straight from Daniel Kahneman’s 2011 masterpiece, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” It was published in the United States and synthesized decades of his Nobel-prize winning research with Amos Tversky. You sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific phrasing and the robust science behind it is uniquely Kahneman’s.

Attribution Summary

Context	Attributes
Author	Daniel Kahneman (54)
Source Type	Book (4602)
Source/Book Name	Thinking, Fast and Slow (54)
Origin Timeperiod	21st Century (1995)
Original Language	English (4111)
Authenticity	Verified (4602)

Where is this quotation located?

Quotation	When you are asked what you think about something, your answer is often based on what you feel about it
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 99 (2013 edition)

Context

In the book, this quote sits at the heart of understanding the two systems of our mind. It’s the key takeaway from countless experiments that reveal the dominance of our intuitive system over our logical one, especially when we’re under pressure or just operating on autopilot.

Usage Examples

This is where it gets really practical. I use this concept all the time.

• For Marketers & Product Managers: Stop just asking users what they think of a new feature. Their answer will be a post-rationalization. Instead, watch what they do. Observe their behavior, their frustrations, their moments of delight. That’s the real data.
• For Leaders & Managers: In your next team meeting, when someone gives a strong opinion, gently probe. Ask “What specifically led you to that conclusion?” You’ll often find the real root was a feeling—a vibe, a past experience—that they then built a logical case around.
• For Self-Reflection: The next time you have a knee-jerk reaction to an idea, pause. Ask yourself: “Is this truly a reasoned thought, or is this just a feeling I’m dressing up in logic?” It’s a powerful way to gain self-awareness.

To whom it appeals?

Context	Attributes
Theme	Facts (124)
Audiences	coaches (1343), educators (306), leaders (2933), students (3465), therapists (585)
Usage Context/Scenario	communication programs (11), emotional intelligence sessions (11), leadership coaching (146), motivational speeches (383), psychology workshops (9)

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FAQ

Question: Does this mean our feelings are always right?

Answer: Absolutely not. It just means they’re powerful and come first. They can be right, or they can be wildly biased and inaccurate. The point is to recognize their influence so you can decide whether to trust them or engage your slower, more logical mind.

Question: So should we ignore our gut feelings?

Answer: Not at all. Gut feelings are a form of pattern recognition. The key is to not let them have the final say when the stakes are high. Use them as a data point, not the entire decision-making process.

Question: Can we train ourselves to be more rational?

Answer: You can, but it’s a constant practice. It’s about creating space between the feeling and the response. It’s about instituting processes—like pre-mortems or checklists—that force your slower, more analytical system to engage.