Jump to content

Gut Instinct v. Judgement


Recommended Posts

Everyone has and does both gut instinct and judgement.

  1. Gut instinct: The human self-preservation tool that drives the fight-or-flight response.
  2. Judgement: A combination of intellectual, emotional and sometimes gut instinct response, sometimes negating gut instinct.

If you look at the above definitions, which one would you listen to?

 

My gut instinct has yet to be wrong. My judgment has been tainted by emotions and intellectual rationalizations.

 

I've decided to always listen to my gut instinct aka spidey sense.

 

What's your choice or thoughts on this?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Gut instinct.

 

I don't trust my judgement, mostly because I can be all over the place mentally sometimes. Too many thoughts in my head. Using my gut instinct has never let me down. That instinct has guided me through life and protected me. I am the person today because of it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I used to be gut-instrinct driven but this would mean that I got stuck in unhealthy patterns at times.One can only fall down the same stairs so many times - or get one's heart broken - before realizing maybe it would help to approach things differently). My life has improved greatly since I went through a phase of approaching things more logically. But I think knowing when to listen to your gut or when to use your better judgement is essential. For instance, my gut has never been wrong about whether or not I could develop attraction to someone. It has been wrong about who I should get involved with however.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author

I'm the opposite of you Kamille. My gut has always been right about who to not get involved with/befriend. My judgement has been wrong during the times where my gut has initially reacted negatively to someone, decided to be open-minded and get to know them, then got screwed.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I feel like there isn't such a thing as *pure* gut instinct. What we are feeling all has to do with our previous experience -- they just go hand in hand. However, using our judgment has to do more with thinking cerebrally. The two get mixed up for me, because when I listen to my gut instinct AKA listening to my pure emotions, I feel like it often leads me astray, into situations that my heart desires, but aren't necessarily the best for me.

 

I think, either way, we have the ability to psych ourselves out using either instinct or judgment. What it comes down to is what we *hope* and *want* to happen. We can subconsciously convince ourselves either way.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I'm the opposite of you Kamille. My gut has always been right about who to not get involved with/befriend. My judgement has been wrong during the times where my gut has initially reacted negatively to someone, decided to be open-minded and get to know them, then got screwed.

 

My gut is getting better but I think this has a lot to do with changing what I was looking for in friends and in love. My judgement had to take over this year at work (and perhaps on here a little ;)): at work it was a weird moment of me realizing I didn't have to force myself to get along with everybody. It was a nice realization, that has made me feel stronger. But it was my logical brain that led me there.

 

I guess my gut-feelings was responding to some deep-rooted fears.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Everyone has and does both gut instinct and judgement.
  1. Gut instinct: The human self-preservation tool that drives the fight-or-flight response.
  2. Judgement: A combination of intellectual, emotional and sometimes gut instinct response, sometimes negating gut instinct.

If you look at the above definitions, which one would you listen to?

 

My gut instinct has yet to be wrong. My judgment has been tainted by emotions and intellectual rationalizations.

 

I've decided to always listen to my gut instinct aka spidey sense.

 

What's your choice or thoughts on this?

 

Gut instinct is an early warning system and most of the time is on to something.

 

Judgement usually confirms (or in some cases disproves) the original signals.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I find it difficult to separate gut instinct from judgement. In serious matters, I'm increasingly starting to accept that the instincts or judgement of people who I trust (and who I think really know and "get" me) are often more reliable than my own. More likely to be influenced by reality than my rose-tinted perspective of events and circumstances. It's annoying, because I'm naturally a bit resistant to seeking out taking other people's advice, and prefer to be the advice giver.

 

I suppose I must have some basis from which I select and trust people to discuss important decisions with. When I think of the people I trust most in life, from the outset I felt calm and positive around them. Had feelings of admiration for them for reasons I couldn't articulate. Other than "this is someone I respect and feel safe with". I think that's a very instinctive reaction, and that my emotional and intellectual assessments and connections didn't kick in until I knew them better.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My gut instinct rarely fails when it comes to people. I can't remember ever having a negative first impression of somebody where I turned out to be completely wrong. Several times I've had a bad gut instinct, only to challenge my initial opinion (either because of peer pressure or the desire to be "open minded" as you put it), and then get screwed later on. There have been a few cases where I took an immediate dislike to somebody, to eventually conclude they were not all bad but a mixed bag. Most people give others the benefit of the doubt. I'm more skeptical and wary. I take note of subtle cues.

Link to post
Share on other sites
when I listen to my gut instinct AKA listening to my pure emotions, I feel like it often leads me astray, into situations that my heart desires, but aren't necessarily the best for me.

That's a great way of wording it - it's one's heart leading one's head.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author
When I think of the people I trust most in life, from the outset I felt calm and positive around them. Had feelings of admiration for them for reasons I couldn't articulate. Other than "this is someone I respect and feel safe with". I think that's a very instinctive reaction, and that my emotional and intellectual assessments and connections didn't kick in until I knew them better.

To use You'reasian's term, gut is your early warning system. It either kicks in or it doesn't.

Link to post
Share on other sites

But, TBF, you're not talking about heart versus head, are you? You're talking about intuition versus reason?

 

Heart = desire, which if you let it lead you, yes, you'll get burned.

 

Intuition = what you know in a flash, without relying on reason.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author

It's even more basic than intuition. It's down to animal instincts.

 

It will either be an immediate negative reaction, where the instinct is fight or flight, or you'll experience nothing from it.

 

While soldiers are well-trained, I think many of their reactions are based on this self-preservation instinct.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My animal instinct as I experience it is usually negative or silent. I don't know that I've ever experienced it as a "go ahead, you're safe" kind of a message.

 

My intuition has given me the go ahead, with mixed results.

Link to post
Share on other sites

If this thread is about whether one should trust an instinct that has proven itself countless times to be 100% reliable, or to follow a logical mindset that is consistently leading one willingly into a series of unfortunate and regrettable choices, then I think it is somewhat of a no-brainer. And if that counts as "enabling," then I am guilty as charged! :laugh:

Link to post
Share on other sites

The thing that has messed me up, especially when I was younger, is that I have this weird tendency to be tuned into the other person's emotions (as I perceive them) while ignoring mine, which is really confusing.

Link to post
Share on other sites
If this thread is about whether one should trust an instinct that has proven itself countless times to be 100% reliable, or to follow a logical mindset that is consistently leading one willingly into a series of unfortunate and regrettable choices, then I think it is somewhat of a no-brainer. And if that counts as "enabling," then I am guilty as charged! :laugh:

Who are you enabling in this instance, tbf in particular, or just all of your fans?

Link to post
Share on other sites
It's even more basic than intuition. It's down to animal instincts.

 

Its all about animal instincts :D

Link to post
Share on other sites
Who are you enabling in this instance, tbf in particular, or just all of your fans?

Is that you, Hermione?!

 

Of course, LoveShack fosters an inclusive educational experience. All for one, and one for all.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Author

This thread wasn't for my own resolution, ambivalence or concern. I've already made my decision which to trust and aren't looking for validation of such. More than anything, I found it interesting to separate out the two components and wondered what other people thought, believed or did.

 

The definition of gut instinct was more in question, than anything else.

Link to post
Share on other sites
×
×
  • Create New...