System Two Says No (For Now)

The Reader’s Edge | Charlie Samways | July 19, 2026 |

Have you ever thought of your brain as being split into more than one part?

My content this week reminded me that there is more than one system within our brains.

The reason I needed this reminder was to ask whether I felt the need to upgrade from my 2024 Kindle Scribe to the latest Scribe Colorsoft.

Presumably, on the back of Prime Day, and the way my algorithms work, I was getting hit from all angles by marketing for the Scribe Colorsoft.

On YouTube, creators were saying why the Scribe Colorsoft was so impressive. Emails were coming through, pushing the device. And I even noticed my first YouTube video on the Scribe Colorsoft was having another surge of views and engagement.

Long-time readers will remember that I trialled this device previously and came to the conclusion that there wasn’t a strong enough case to upgrade. 

But this felt like an opportunity to ask myself why I had rejected the need to upgrade. It was a great device, albeit pricey. But price hadn’t felt like the primary reason why this hadn’t been a fit.

After making notes on why I hadn’t made the upgrade for this week’s YouTube video, I realised that I had made this decision previously without the rigorous notes. Instead, these thoughts had been processed subconsciously within my brain to give me an answer.

System One & Two Thinking

Daniel Kahneman’s important research into decision making, from Thinking, Fast and Slow, has come up in this newsletter before.

One of the key concepts relates to the idea that there are two systems within the brain. System one is instinctive, fast and emotional. System two is slow, logical and analytical.

This same logic can be applied to the debate over whether to make an upgrade from an existing device.

When system one is at work, that new, shiny upgrade can look appealing.

What we want, though, is system two to be at the wheel when it comes to these types of decisions.

There are two ways I like to push myself towards system two, and they both involve time. 

The first is to give myself at least 48 hours to sit on a decision before purchasing. This gives your system two a period of time to rationally assess the pros and cons of your purchase.

If you decide to go ahead, then the modern benefits of purchasing power give you another chance to get system two working.

You simply check how long a return period you have on the product, and set your own deadline for making a decision. That way, you can get hands-on with the item and see for yourself whether the purchase justifies the cost or any sacrifices you may have to make, such as moving away from a previous device.

I’ve had all manner of scenarios over the years. Times that a device passed or failed either my 48-hour window or the return period limit.

Sometimes an upgrade decision may fail multiple times before it becomes the right call. This happened to me with my PlayStation 4. Ever since the PlayStation 5 arrived, I debated making the upgrade, but every time my system two brain said no.

At the end of last year, my PS4 finally showed signs of slowing, just as a deal was run on a PS5. That time, the upgrade was approved, and it was the right call.

Every scenario will be different, but one thing remains true.

The more we can allow system two to guide our decisions, the surer we can be of taking the best option.

This Week’s Question

Have you turned down an upgrade after recognising the initial appeal didn’t live up to the benefits? Are you happy with the decision you made?

Reply to me at hello@charliesamways.com. I read every one.

From The Channel This Week

I explored the reasons I didn’t upgrade to the Scribe Colorsoft, as well as which Kindle settings are pointless, and which are essential to my reading:

5 Reasons Why I'm Not Upgrading to the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

10 Kindle Settings Ranked From Pointless to Essential

And I’ve just updated my Free Kindle Guide with a bonus section on speed reading, which is available for all members to download here

Wishing you all the best this week, and in making the right purchasing decisions for you.

Catch up next week,

Charlie Samways