Grilled Cheese

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Grilled Cheese is a product of Village Compute

Version devBuilt at: 2026-10-16 08:00:47 EDT

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When you want to prove a point, sharing data is crucial. But numbers can shift people into an inactive state where they just don’t do anything about the numbers you share. This is because data creates a paradox in the human brains. We have 2 modes of thinking, as popularized by the Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. System 1 thinking is fast, emotional, and action-oriented. It helps us quickly respond to anything or anyone we encounter. System 2 thinking is slower and more analytical. It helps us make sense of evidence. So when someone is working with data, that person is engaged in System 2 thinking. But here’s the problem: when data pulls people deeply into System 2, it can dampen System 1. This means the part of the mind needed to analyze the numbers can quiet the part needed to care about and act on the numbers. Neuroscience adds to this paradox. The default mode network, or DMN, is more tied to thinking about empathy, values, and stories. The task-positive network, or TPN, helps us focus on external tasks, solve problems, and work through information. So when someone is working with data, that person is engaging the TPN network. Which....you guessed it... dampens the DMN neural network. This means, yet again, that the very mental state that helps an audience understand your data can temporarily hinder the very mental state we need to care about and act on those numbers. This is why data communicators should never share numbers alone. Pair your data with a person behind the numbers or an emotionally gripping story — something an audience’s System 1 and DMN can grab on to, so that its easier to care about your numbers. That way your audience can understand your data without becoming emotionally frozen.