If you have hiked in the woods or been on a safari you may have seen a deer poised with one forefoot raised, ears upright and nose pointed towards the source of ‘sensed’ danger. Its intuition tells it that there is a potential threat in the vicinity. It may not have identified the menace, but it knows to be on guard and alert others in the herd as well.
As a parent, manager, professional, sports player, or high risk decision maker, you too may have experienced the surprising power of intuition. You know the value of trusting your gut instinct to make a flash decision when you do not have the luxury of time to think through the pros and cons, and examine all sides to make a logical choice to act on.
Intuition or ‘blinking’ refers to implicit knowledge that is not based on rational thought or analysis. It is based on previously acquired knowledge. It conserves mental energy as it is not in our conscious awareness. The limbic brain has no language but is responsible for decision making based on our subconscious, similar experiences and emotion. It processes information 200 times faster than the neo-cortex. Intuition is invaluable as a powerful tool for quick decision making that bears useful results.
Joel Pearson, psychologist and neuroscientist, author of The Intuition Toolkit: The New Science of Knowing What without Knowing Why (2024) says “It’s the learned, positive use of unconscious information for better decisions or actions.” The three components of intuition are:
- It is Learned: our past experiences offer up a slew of information to the present situation that comes to our aid and rescue
- It is Productive: our in-the-moment insight is very useful and offers a valuable, positive outcome
- It is Unconscious: our thoughts are not logically and sequentially laid out in a rational manner but are instinctive and automatic
It is no wonder we call it gut-instinct. It is said to reside in our gut, chest and finger tips. It by-passes cogent, sensible thinking. We get to the heart of the matter weeding out unnecessary details, social niceties, and cultural proprietaries of the situation. “Unconscious information leaks into our conscious behavior, our feelings, and our choices.”
Pearson advises using guard rails when employing intuition. He sums up five rules for applying intuition in a safe manner. He offers the acronym SMILE:
- Self-awareness: Be conscious of the emotional state you are in. Heightened emotions may misguide you, so you want to use caution before trusting your intuition.
- Mastery: Be mindful of cultivating the art. Learn how to sharpen your intuitive skills before applying them without question.
- Impulses & Addiction: Be aware of sudden impulses to take action. They may be indicative of an addiction rather than a healthy choice.
- Low probability: Be wary of jumping to conclusions where the probability of occurrence is extremely low.
- Environment: Be familiar with the context within which you are about to use your intuition. It is not applicable in every situation across all domains.
Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking believes that many great decision makers are people who have perfected the art of ‘thin-slicing’. He says, “There can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis.”
The untapped power of our unconscious brain is a power tool waiting for us to wield with a fair amount of self-training and the proper safeguards in place. The benefits can be simply jaw dropping. The more we learn about our psyche and very essence, the more wondrous it seems. We are sitting on a veritable gold mine.
There is a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving!