What is the Oreo cookie analogy?

The "Oreo cookie analogy" mentioned by Shane Parrish and explained by Paul Assaiante is a metaphor for managing emotions and improving decision-making by increasing the gap between thought and action.

Here's a breakdown of the analogy:

• Oreo Cookie Structure: The wafer parts of the Oreo represent thoughts and actions respectively.
• Cream Filling: This symbolizes the time between thinking and acting.
• Doubling the Cream: By adding more "cream" (time), individuals can double the duration between their thoughts and actions, reducing impulsive, emotionally-driven reactions.

Thus, the goal is to extend this gap or "cream" to ensure more measured, thoughtful responses instead of hasty actions driven by immediate emotions. This helps in making better decisions and avoiding knee-jerk reactions 1.