What Are We Into-uiting Now?
Have you ever wondered about that nagging feeling deep within your stomach? Or that otherworldly voice at the back of your head constantly telling you, ‘Oh no, you don't’, or ‘Yes, just do it!’?
Well, I am convinced that there is only one word for that: intuition.
.Now, before I start this article, I understand that within the modern world of numbers, data and graphs, the process of intuition can be seen as 'lazy' or 'lucky'. However, there is a science behind it – more so a hypothesis, behind what is supposedly your 'gut-feeling'.
This article will be divided into a few sections: the general overview of what intuition is, the process of intuiting, types of intuition, and how to hone your intuition skills.
Overview of Intuition
What is intuition? Intuition can be described as the process that allows us to make a decision without knowing or understanding the reason behind it. Intuition, in a way, connects the unconscious and conscious parts of the mind and body, hence the ‘gut-feeling’!
Nonetheless, intuition still remains – to this day – a hot topic among scientists. This is largely due to the fact that there are just some answers that defy the law of science. Scientists trust their analytical skills and logical reasoning, but what if those two methods fail them?
There was a proposition to count intuition as a type of science, but due to the lack of reasoning within the decision-making department, it continues to remain in the middle. Not science, nor superstition.
Did you know that intuition can be polished and maximized? According to some reports, strong intuition can be found in people who have accumulated numerous experiences and knowledge throughout their lives. A post from ScientificAmerican has stated that during the 1980s, there was an experiment regarding the usage and quality of intuition in real life. Interestingly enough, highly-experienced workers seemed to develop a sharper intuitive sense, which shows that experience does indeed contribute to one’s level of intuition.
There is reason to believe, the more experience a person has, the higher the probability that he/she might encounter a similar situation – producing a recurring pattern. Hence, the experienced person tends to compare ‘pre-set’ patterns when it boils down to decision-making. Think of it as a chess grandmaster who immediately feels and knows how the game is going to be played out – all within the first move.
Following this, while intuition is not exactly logical, it isn’t not irrational. Kamila Malewska from the Poznán University of Economics and Business in Poland, describes intuition as 'a quicker and more automatic process that plumbs the many deep resources of experience and knowledge' and that intuition itself can be trained for future decision-making situations.
Process of Intuiting
Although intuition follows the ‘gut’, there is a process behind it. Our brain is a complex machine; neurons transmitting numerous electrical signals throughout the entire body system. But we are not here to discuss the brain. We are here to talk about how intuition works – well, the rough idea at least!
First off, we need to understand that intuition can be considered as tacit knowledge. It occurs almost spontaneously and without much answer as to why we think like that. Polanyi described tacit knowing in two parts of one concept: focal and subsidiary. To put it briefly, let's look at an example taken from Dörfler and Ackermann:
(…) when hammering in a nail, we are differently aware of the hammer and of the nail. What is the focus of our act, he called ‘focal awareness’ (driving in the nail); which is supported by ‘subsidiary awareness’ of everything else (feeling in our palm, hammer, etc.).
However, when applying this concept to the process of intuition, it starts to become tedious. We then have to begin looking at intuition as ‘knowledge’ now; ‘knowledge’ as the mental content; the act of ‘knowing’ as the process of how knowledge is used.
In simple words, our intuition is like writing a poem. We can write what is considered a 'good' poem but why is it that we feel it is a 'good' poem? Is it the diction? Tone? Rhythm and rhyme? The knowledge of a good poem (focal awareness) is implicit as it cannot be taught but understood by many; the knowing is explicit as the usage and choices of words, and grammatical structure can be taught (subsidiary awareness).
In the end, the process of intuition is subtle; we do not understand why we do it until the deed is done. The truth is, a blending of intuition and logical reasoning works well and in a way, is very beneficial. Keep in mind that this logical reasoning can stem from the very fact that you might have been through a similar situation – by experience.
Types of Intuition
According to FastCompany, there are supposedly 5 types of intuition:
Analysts are the people who analyse data gathered from their research. They spend countless hours discovering new and different ways to approach a situation. This analytical approach allows them to precisely determine every possible problem or advantage of a specific route. They do not like to make hasty decisions and might take some time to come up with a final decision.
Empathizers offer themselves to the people in need of help. They would specifically ask about the type of problem they are facing, while simultaneously allowing them to vent out their frustrations. However, too much empathy given to the client (friend) may skew their judgement. Therefore, if you're an empathizer, always remember to be fair and neutral.
Observers would usually pick up on clues and small details in their surroundings as they mainly thrive on visual learning.
Questioners are the noisiest among the types of intuition, but for good reason. They want ‘real-life’ answers to their questions, as they might not believe in online statistics.
Finally, adapters, who are much more commonly found in our community. Adapters trust their gut-feelings to the utmost maximum. Even so, adapters are highly reliable people as they well... adapt to various situations. They can give good advice and can be relied upon to be delegated an important task. Think of them as the jack-of-all-trades in intuition.
How To Hone Your Intuition
A way to do this is by keeping a journal. By writing and exposing your insecurities on paper, this journal acts as a gateway to a deeper understanding of self. This could strengthen the connection between your unconscious mind and physical body.
The second way is to turn off your inner critic, and talk to yourself! Don't be afraid of asking questions to yourself, and listen closely to that voice in your head – without judgement. That voice will bloom and soon enough, you will have built an unbreakable trust with your gut-feelings.
Last but not least is meditation. This act of healing and solitude bonds the spiritual self with its surrounding, allowing space for introspection. This is important because as more self-examination is done and dealt with, you begin to observe the world around you differently.
Signing off with the best of luck!
Smart people listen to those feelings. And the smartest people among us - the ones who make great intellectual leaps forward - cannot do this without harnessing the power of intuition - Bruce Kasanoff