[Swizec]

> I got into a cycle where I could notice my fast-thinking brain spitting out words/concepts in what felt like the speed of light before my slow-thinking brain would take those and turn them into actual sentences

The way I’ve seen this described by psychologists is that System 1 is driving the car while System 2 panicks in the back seat screaming out explanations for every action and shouting directions to the driver so it can feel in control. The driver may listen to those directions, but there’s no direct link between System 2 in the backseat and System 1 holding the wheel.

Various experiments have shown that in many situations our actions come first and our conscious understanding/explanation of those actions comes second. Easiest observed in people with split brain operations. The wordy brain always thinks it’s in control even when we know for a fact it couldn’t possibly have been because the link has been surgically severed.

Being super tired, on the edge of sleep, or on drugs can disrupt these links enough to let you observe this directly. It’s pretty wild when it happens.

Another easy way, for me, is to get up on stage and give a talk. Your mouth runs away presenting things and you’re in the back of your head going “Oh shit no that’s going in the wrong direction and won’t make the right point, adjust course!”

[nuancebydefault]

Sometimes when I am in a Teams call, I observe myself talking. I know for myself that I can get carried away whilst talking and that time passes faster then. My conscious self sometimes needs to interrupt my talky self with a 'nough explained signal, or even with a 'nough joking signal.

I read several studies that show that brains don't have a central point of command, so our true self can not exist (as one single origin). We are the sum of all our consciousnesses, similar to how a car is the sum of its parts.

[devinprater]

Oh, yes, that's what I do! I act first, and then consider the action.