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RailsConf 2018: The Intelligence of Instinct by Emily Freeman Content warning: This talk includes brief stories about sexual assault and IEDs in Iraq. Fear is not a gut feeling. Fear is your brain delivering critical information derived from countless cues that have added up to one conclusion. Stop. Get out. Run. But sometimes fear isn’t life or death. Often, it’s code smell. It’s a bad feeling before a deploy. This talk will explore fear, instinct and denial. We’ll focus on our two brains — what Daniel Kahneman describes as System 1 and System 2. And we’ll look at how we can start to view “feelings” as pre-incident indicators.
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In her presentation "The Intelligence of Instinct" at RailsConf 2018, Emily Freeman discusses the complex interplay of fear, instinct, and decision-making, drawing on psychological theory and personal anecdotes to highlight how our instincts can serve as valuable pre-incident indicators. She begins with a poignant personal experience of feeling unsafe in a hotel elevator, which prompts her to explore the nature of fear as more than just a gut feeling, arguing that it is the brain processing numerous cues to deliver critical information. Key Points Discussed: - **Understanding Fear**: Freeman explains that fear arises from the brain synthesizing data from various inputs, culminating in instinctual responses to threats. - **The Two Brains**: Inspired by Daniel Kahneman's concepts, she differentiates between "System 1" (quick, instinctual thinking) and "System 2" (deliberate, logical thinking), asserting that both systems can work in tandem to enhance decision-making. - **Intuition as a Skill**: The talk emphasizes that intuition is not merely a feeling but a crucial skill that can be honed through experience, particularly in engineering contexts where recognizing code smells or anomalies can prevent disasters. - **Distinction between Fear and Anxiety**: Freeman makes an important distinction between fear, which is a response to immediate threats, and anxiety, which is rooted in anticipation of potential threats, underscoring the physiological similarities yet conceptual differences of both. - **Real-life Examples**: She recounts the stories of Kelly, a woman who ignored warning signs that led to a dangerous encounter, and Army Reservist Martin K. Richburg, whose instinctive alertness saved lives in a possible bombing scenario, illustrating that intuition can manifest in various critical situations. - **Recommendations for Application**: Freeman proposes a methodical approach to utilizing gut feelings: recognizing the instinct, investigating the suspicion, and engaging System 2 for deeper analysis. This includes articulating concerns with colleagues to facilitate discussion and find solutions. Conclusions and Takeaways: - The presentation emphasizes the importance of trusting one's instincts while also critically analyzing situations through a logical lens. - By acknowledging and respecting our intuitive responses, we can improve our decision-making processes in both personal safety and technical fields. - Furthermore, the integration of emotional intelligence with technical expertise is vital in cultivating a holistic understanding of risks involved in software development and engineering strategies.
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