How Your Feelings Hijack Your Thinking: The Hidden Power of Cognitive Ease

Have you noticed that things you hear repeatedly start to feel more true? Or that you’re more open to ideas when you’re in a good mood? Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow explains these phenomena through the concept of cognitive ease.

Cognitive ease arises when processing information is smooth and effortless, triggered by factors like repetition, clear fonts, familiar sources, and positive mood. This ease creates a warm feeling that signals truth and safety, increasing trust and acceptance.

However, this comfort can be deceptive. Repeated falsehoods gain credibility simply through familiarity, and good moods may reduce vigilance, increasing susceptibility to errors.

In contrast, cognitive strain — caused by difficult fonts, unfamiliar topics, or negative moods — triggers System 2’s analytic thinking, promoting skepticism and careful evaluation.

By recognizing how cognitive ease shapes your beliefs and decisions, you can cultivate awareness to question intuitions and seek balanced judgment.

Sources: Based on insights from Medium, Rufbuk, and Coaching.com.sg. 1 2 4