We have two major cognitive systems. One is instinct: fast, automatic, and always running. The other is reason: slower, deliberate, and mentally costly.
Much of instinct is inherited.
Self-preservation responses like fear of danger or the urge to protect others are biologically wired. But instinct can also be developed. Through repetition and habituation, learned behaviors become automatic, so we effectively train our instinct.
Reason is resource-heavy. It requires focused attention and conscious effort, consuming more cognitive energy than instinct.
When things go smoothly, we mostly run on instinct. We walk, talk, react, and make routine choices without much thought. Reason steps in only when something goes wrong: a surprise, a conflict, or a complex problem. Instinct is the usual driver; reason is the co-pilot that checks assumptions and corrects instinct when it leads us astray.
Imagine your mind as a car. Instinct keeps the engine running at highway speed. Reason slams the brakes, recalculates the route, and prevents crashes when the road changes.
The problem is that our instincts are designed for preservation, not truth. That means we must use mindfulness to bring ourselves back to reality and begin to see it for the first time. This is the only way to turn off the autopilot.
