How much of our Critical Thinking is Hardwired?

I have always believed that many of our critical decision making styles are hardwired into our brains, passed down from our very distant human predecessors. One example, is our use of pattern recognition for quick decision making in survival situations--this impacts the way we make decisions to this day---we try to fit new situations into old patterns that we understand, trying to employ the old pattern responses that have successfully worked for us in the past.

This video is a fascinating look into Monkeynomics -- the hardwired decision making that exists in our primate ancestors--decision making that is amazingly the same decision making hardwire that we have -- passed down from our ancestry. 

If we accept that some of our decision making skills are hardwired, then it might be easier to explain why very smart people continue to make bad decisions.  Our challenge is to understand and appreciate the "humaness" of our decision making process. Once it is understood, we can be "on guard" during a critical decision event--on guard for our hardwired human decision making pitfalls.

Please take the time to watch this video ( 19 min )   I hope you enjoy!