Why Intuition Leads to Better Decision Making in Our Modern Life
Intuition or the gut feeling is a quick judgment based on instinct, a snap decision that your brain makes without much conscious thought. While the brain is an incredible tool, it can sometimes be our biggest trap. It's designed to analyze data and respond appropriately under stress or in critical situations. However, when left to roam freely, it can become overcomplicated, leading to analysis paralysis and a loss of personal integrity.
It's your subconscious thoughts that often play a more powerful role than conscious thoughts. Conscious thoughts, while rational, can be swayed by emotions such as paranoia, anger, sadness, or fear. On the other hand, your subconscious mind is hard at work, processing a multitude of data points. It records temperature, smell, the pressure on your bottom from the chair, and microexpressions, all of which contribute to your overall intuitive assessment.
Your subconscious is intricately connected with your subconscious, analyzing data and experiences that your conscious mind might miss. This connection is not magical or spiritual but a fundamental aspect of human behavior. For instance, when your employee comes into your office with an excuse for being late, the words may sound reasonable at a conscious level, but your subconscious senses that something is off. Your conscious mind can only process about 5 to 9 items at once, while your subconscious records a vast array of information.
Intuition vs Conscious Thought
During a creative design process, the subconscious mind can offer valuable insights when conscious thought fails. Often, I'll spend time thinking about a problem before going to sleep, and upon waking, I'll have a sudden epiphany. This is because the subconscious mind, with its broader range of experience, sifts through the data and offers possible solutions. There's no inherent spirituality to intuition; rather, it's a natural part of our existence in the present state.
Theoretical physicists, bricklayers, and artists all rely on intuition to some degree. When a theoretical physicist considers complex equations, they're using intuition to guide their hypotheses. Similarly, a bricklayer uses intuition to estimate measurements and a builder's moves, and an artist uses intuition to guide their creativity. Intuition is a tool that can be honed and utilized to make better decisions and judgments in our daily lives.
The Role of Emotions and Feelings in Authentic Decision Making
The criteria for authentic decisions often involve our wants and desires, which are ultimately based on emotions and feelings. In the words of philosopher David Hume, logic and reason are driven by our passions. We feel what we want and use logic and reason as a means to achieve those feelings.
Consider the chicken crossing the road. We're taught that the chicken wants to get to the other side. But why did it do so? Was it running from something, or was it simply exploring? The same logic applies to human behavior. Often, our unconscious desires guide our actions, and our decisions are made based on emotional cues rather than purely logical ones.
Intuition, in essence, is a tool that allows us to connect with our inner feelings, making us more alert and responsive to our surroundings. It helps us navigate the complexities of human behavior and make better choices in our daily lives.
Conclusion
Ultimately, intuition is a powerful tool that can help us make better decisions. By tapping into the subconscious, we can process a vast amount of information and make more informed choices. Emotions and feelings play a crucial role in authentic decision-making, and by understanding our inner feelings, we can align our actions with our true desires and passions.
Embrace your intuition and trust your gut. It's a key element in navigating the complexities of modern life, and it can help you make the best choices in most cases.