Chapter 3
How can we manipulate human nature
We have found it profitable to learn and adopt various facets of human nature. But, for its practical implementation and further usage, or for deriving more mileage, we need to define it. For, definition of an entity makes it easy to know that entity. Rather than a broad idea incorporating all we can feel, see, or hear in our way, this permits us to overlook a few, while noticing clearly and closely, few others.
Here we can consider it as consisting of two parts. One, common with all other forms of life, which could account for the vast majority of emotional or other characteristic traits, like love, anger, playfulness, etc. Two, what is found only in humans, which perhaps is language, and the ability to use it for abstract transactions like thought, expression, and communication.
As far as the traits common with other forms of life go, there is no absolute necessity, to define human nature. For, inferences can be drawn by comparison, and we have suitable references available aplenty. But, for the traits unique to humans, want of a definition shall give rise to disorder, to say the least. For, humans being a form of life, the responses of which are guided more by reason than instinct, commotion is an easy possibility when a multitude of responses thrive. You see, no two individuals will have the same reaction to the same event. And here, if there exists a unique definition, all humans can take the easy path of aligning with it, making commotion a rarity.
Thus, let us limit our definition of human nature to matters related to thought and expression. In his best-selling book 'Thinking fast and Slow’, Daniel Kahneman puts forward the idea of thinking as a mixture of two different activities. 'thinking fast', and 'thinking slow'. To put it in a simplified way, each of us is constituted by two individuals, one identifiable as the experiencing self and the other, as the remembering self. Appropriate combination of the nature, or the intended effects, of the acts of thinking and the ‘self’ who performs it, is the need of the hour, any time. For example, when exposed to a situation, one needs to quickly decide, who will answer it or take action. The thinking self, if it needs to be a comprehensive one, and the experiencing self, if the reaction needs to be instantaneous.
I think we can think of 'Thinking fast', for immediate reactions, or instinctive response. Which also is what is done by all forms of life excepting humans, where, every stimulus is reacted upon instantly. 'Thinking slow' points to studied responses, perhaps the appropriate ones, when we consider humans. Where, rather than reacting instantly, the focus is on the effectiveness of the response, or the desirability of whatever real or abstract consequences it may lead to. Which could entail some amount of reflection, with the help of symbolic logic or various form of language. In fact, the prime function of a language is nothing but this.
Now what is remaining is only a logical conclusion. 'Thinking fast' denotes animal instinct, what can be called instant reactions. And 'thinking slow' is what we should have been having in our minds, whenever we use the word, thinking. And in that case, there will be some thought even behind our instinctive responses.
And human nature can now be defined as the affinity towards thinking slow, except where it is not possible to do so.