Albert Einstein once said: “I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking”.

Do you think human are rational being? What drives us more, our rational, “cold” thinking or our
irrational, “hot” emotions and motivations?

Use psychological concepts, research and examples to explain your viewpoint. You should write an essay
of minimum 300 words.

The components that constitute human cognition are generally classified into two categories: “hot”
thinking, which refers to emotions and feelings, and “cold” thinking, or rationality. Which of these two
factors has a more powerful impact on human behavior has consistently been a source of debate;
however, no reputed research has given any plausible answer. In my opinion, each is half the equation
towards directing human behavior and effectiveness in actions is only made possible by the coexistence
and coordination of both hot and cold thinking.

Regarding “hot” thinking, Einstein once said “I never made one of my discoveries through the process of
rational thinking”. Emotions are an important source of motivation, as positive feelings may encourage
people to continue their work, while negative ones may discourage them from keep trying. Besides,
innovation is rarely created based on conventional logic, but rather based on a feeling or an intuition.
Archimedes laid the foundation for the infamous principle of buoyancy when he stepped in a bathroom
and experienced a flash of innovation, which is widely known as his “Eureka moment” . “Hot” thinking is
at least half the equation towards understanding motivation and behavior.

On the other hand, although “cold” thinking appears not the source of groundbreaking ideas, no
intuition will result in success without rational thinking process. To be specific, intuitive moments of
innovation is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience. As a famous saying goes “Luck
is what happens when opportunity meets preparation”, in this case, luck is the moment of innovation,
opportunity is emotions, and preparation is logic. A scenic landscape may only be an enjoyable sight to
ordinary visitors, but it can serve as the inspiration for a masterpiece to an artist. Same feelings but
different intellectual experience are likely to result in distinct choices of behavior.

Hot and cold can be regarded as extremes. Both have their own way of serving their purposes, but when
it comes to leading and influencing behavior, being extreme rarely can be sustainable in any meaningful
way. Comparing the power of these two factors’ impacts are a challenging, if not impossible, and
perhaps unecessary, task. By thoroughly understanding their roles and neither reducing the intensity of
logical thinking nor missing out on our passion for people and things, we can have it all and lead with
great influence.