Kahneman's Influence On Decision Making

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“A hero is someone who rises above his or her fears and limitations to achieve something extraordinary… a hero embodies what we believe is best in ourselves” (Fingeroth qtd. in Fleming). In his essay, James Fleming summarizes Daniel Fingeroth’s assertion that heroes embody our society’s ideals. If a hero embodies our society’s ideals, then we can assume that people share similar ideals because we are all part of the same society. But what are those ideals? To me, a hero is someone who manages to persevere through the toughest of times without compromising one’s ideals. Some examples are: someone who just lost a loved one, a victim of bullying, or a person suffering from traumatic injuries. These people possess an astounding capacity of emotional …show more content…
During his prime, Kahneman made many discoveries in the psychology of decision-making; specifically, in his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman utilizes heuristics, which are simple rules that people use to form judgments in order to make decisions: “This is the essence of intuitive heuristics: when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution” (Kahneman 12). Kahneman has not only written several books on psychology, but also spoke for a Ted Talk, lectured at many different colleges, and became a professor of psychology in 1973. Through his lectures and teaching, he has influenced thousands of psychologists across the globe. The discoveries Kahneman made have shaped the way people think about psychology today, and he remains to be one of the most influential psychologists of his time. Furthermore, Kahneman developed many theories about psychology that have impacted the real world: “One of the clearest places to see [Kahneman’s] work’s impact… is professional sports. Team executives have realized that some of their long-held assumptions… turn out to be wrong. And they have adjusted” (Leonhardt para 6). Kahneman’s influence extends beyond psychology into the real world. In this case, his research helped sports executives change their …show more content…
Through industriousness and intelligence, Kahneman unearthed mysteries about human behavior. He did not aspire to rule over economics but instead wanted his paper on decision-making to be with others of a similar sort. “... our decision was not guided by a wish to influence economics. Econometrica just happened to be the journal where the best papers on decision-making to date had been published, and we were aspiring to be in that company” (Kahneman para 60). This choice ended up leading him to not only influencing economics despite not intending for it to, but also having his work put with the best of its kind. His research has benefitted everyone as psychology helps us as humans learn more about ourselves. Through Kahneman, I have learned that great things often come from humble beginnings and that we should not be ashamed of where we came from. Similar to him, I want to be able to stay modest and not be ashamed about my upbringing. Kahneman’s strength and his courage throughout the Holocaust inspire me to keep on going despite opposition. As a minority living in an oppressive world, similar to Kahneman, I have to work hard to be recognized for all I do. Kahneman motivates me to keep moving towards my goals and to never give up on my dreams. He has inspired me to read more on psychology and consider becoming a psychologist
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