Nonsensical

I am a few chapters into Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman. Thoroughly enjoying it. He hasn't mentioned addiction yet and I don't know if he will, but the descriptions of the System 1 (automatic) and System 2 (rational) thought processes, their interrelationship, and their limitations (especially of System 1) are hitting home for me in terms of understanding how my thought processes became such a train wreck with respect to alcohol. This is an oversimplification, but for me it puts science and/or academic scrutiny into AVRT.

This simple test explains System 1 and System 2 pretty well, I think. Work this math problem:

You didn't even slow down your reading pace. As soon as you saw the equation you knew the answer and kept moving. In fact, you can't unknow the answer. It is so locked into your memory and so easily retrievable that your brain processes it without ever shifting gears, and you can just keep right on going. You could do that math with the radio blasting your favorite song while making a left turn across 4 lanes of traffic. Now work this math problem:

Really work it. You can do that in your head. Maybe you prefer scratch paper and pencil, but you can do that math. But you had to slow down to do it. You had to pause while you focused your brain on math processes. You can do that one in your head, but you wouldn't want the radio blasting your favorite song while making a left across 4 lanes of traffic.

That, in a nutshell, is System 1 and System 2. One process that is on all the time, effortlessly piloting as you drive down the highway while you think about what to get your mom for her birthday or what to make for dinner. The other, hovering in the background, waiting for something System 1 can't handle - something that doesn't fit the context - something that can't be easily retrieved from experiential memory - something that requires deeper rational thinking to work out.

Sound familiar?