The first principle in improving the use of fast thinking is to use it. Western society encourages humans to solve problems by thinking them through carefully, perusing all the available information sources. Up to a point, this can be useful, especially when people need to prime their brains with data prior to doing creative or inventive work, as when Van Riper’s Red Team carefully studies the field of battle, arrangement of forces, and availability of resources before launching a campaign against the enemy.

However, studious research can lead to overthinking, which distorts the decision-making process. It’s better to simply absorb information without trying to make too much sense of it, and then let the mind digest the data in its own way. Soon enough, good ideas will pop up unbidden—ideas that can lead to good results.

Snap judgments can be made more accurate in multiple ways. The first is to remove unconscious bias by, for example, interacting with the cultures and daily lives of minorities until they are viewed as real and worthwhile human beings, instead of one-dimensional symbols of slanted beliefs.

Bias also diminishes through the removal of extraneous inputs, as orchestras do when they place candidate musicians behind screens so their music and not their appearance is at the forefront, or when Thomas Hoving has his assistants surprise him with sudden reveals of artworks, thereby preventing his mind from building up anticipatory preconceptions.

To reduce judgment failures during emergencies, first responders train in simulations to stay calm and observant under stress. They also learn to increase “white space,” the distance between a responder and a suspect, which gives them more time to gather information, make better judgments, and avoid overexcitement or panic.

The most important points to remember, when working to improve instinctive judgment, are (1) don’t overthink a situation, (2) don’t prejudge by appearances, and (3) don’t panic.