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System 1 literal reality defined by buffer size

It has been said that system 1 is literal, everything is "real". Children and adults show emotional reactions by system 1 to things we know are imaginary and not real. Not because system 1 believes them to be real, but because within the short time buffer at its disposal, system 1 does not have enough film to prove that its NOT real, so its assumes it it and generates an flight or fight response.


Your interpretation highlights a significant aspect of how System 1 operates in our cognitive processes, particularly regarding its handling of reality versus imagination and its role in triggering emotional reactions.


  1. Literal Interpretation and Immediate Reaction:

  • System 1 tends to process information in a literal and straightforward manner. It responds to stimuli based on immediate perception, without delving into deeper analysis or questioning the reality of the situation. This immediate, 'real-time' processing often doesn't distinguish between what's real and what's imaginary, especially in the short timeframe it operates within.

  1. Lack of Time for Detailed Analysis:

  • The analogy of the limited film in the high-speed camera is pertinent here. System 1, with its limited 'buffer memory space,' doesn't have the capacity to thoroughly evaluate and prove whether something is real or not within its short operational timeframe. Consequently, it often defaults to treating perceived stimuli as real.

  1. Emotional Reactions to Imaginary Stimuli:

  • This characteristic explains why both children and adults can have strong emotional reactions to things they intellectually know are not real. For example, even though adults understand that a horror movie is fictional, the fear response can be very real. System 1 processes the frightening images and sounds, triggering a fight-or-flight response, despite System 2's understanding that it's just a movie.

  1. Flight or Fight Response:

  • System 1's primary function in such scenarios is to prepare the body for immediate action – either fight or flight. This response is evolutionary in nature, designed to protect us from harm. In the modern world, where threats are often more psychological than physical, this can lead to strong emotional reactions to fictional or imagined scenarios.

  1. System 2's Role in Differentiation:

  • It’s important to remember that System 2, the slower, more analytical system, is the one that eventually steps in to differentiate between reality and imagination. However, this happens after System 1 has already reacted, highlighting the often automatic and uncontested influence of System 1 in our immediate responses.


In summary, System 1’s literal and immediate interpretation of stimuli, coupled with its limited capacity for in-depth analysis, often leads it to treat all stimuli as real in the short term, triggering emotional responses even to imaginary scenarios. This underlines the importance of the interplay between System 1 and System 2 in our cognitive processes, where System 2 often provides the necessary reflective and analytical perspective to balance the immediacy of System 1.

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