TL;DR: Slow thinking compounds. Taking time to think carefully produces better results faster than rushing.
In a world optimized for speed, slow thinking is a competitive advantage.
Fast vs Slow
Daniel Kahneman’s framework:
| System 1 (Fast) | System 2 (Slow) |
|---|---|
| Automatic | Deliberate |
| Effortless | Effortful |
| Intuitive | Analytical |
| Reactive | Reflective |
Most of modern life rewards System 1. But the most valuable work requires System 2.
The Speed Trap
Busyness ≠ Productivity
Responding to every message quickly feels productive. Thinking deeply about one problem is actually productive.
We’ve optimized for:
- Response time over response quality
- Output quantity over output value
- Activity over achievement
Why Slow Thinking Matters
For Understanding
Reading a book slowly with notes beats reading ten books quickly:
Fast reading: Information passes through
Slow reading: Information transforms into knowledge
For Problem-Solving
Complex problems require time to:
- Understand the real question
- Explore the solution space
- Let ideas incubate
- Test and refine
See my Rust learning project—rushing would mean missing the ownership model.
For Creativity
Ideas need time to connect:
Steve Jobs
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.”
Evergreen notes support this by keeping ideas alive for serendipitous connection.
Practical Slow Thinking
Morning Pages
Write 3 pages longhand, stream of consciousness:
- Clears mental clutter
- Surfaces buried ideas
- No editing, no judgment
Deep Work Blocks
Schedule uninterrupted time:
- 9:00-11:30: Deep work (no email, no Slack)
- 11:30-12:00: Process communications
- Repeat
Walking Without Input
No podcasts, no music. Let the mind wander:
Shower Thoughts on Demand
Walking creates the same diffuse thinking that produces insights.
Writing to Think
As practiced in PKM:
- Write about what confuses you
- Explain it as if teaching
- Find the gaps in understanding
- Research and refine
This is why writing in plain text matters—the focus stays on thinking.
The Compound Effect
Slow thinking compounds:
Day 1: 1 deep insight
Day 30: 30 insights
Day 365: 365 insights + connections between them
The Zettelkasten leverages this—each note makes future notes more valuable.
Protecting Slow Thinking
In a world of digital noise:
- Guard your attention: It’s your scarcest resource
- Create friction: Make distraction harder
- Schedule depth: Block time before it’s taken
- Embrace boredom: It’s where creativity lives
The Counterintuitive Truth
Slow Is Fast
Taking time to think carefully often produces results faster than rushing.
Why?
- Fewer mistakes to fix
- Better solutions from the start
- Understanding that doesn’t need re-learning