Should one trust gut instinct over logic and reason?

Question

Why is gut instinct considered to be so credible?

Answer 1

Sometimes.

Like when you're walking down a dark alley and get the feeling that someone is watching or following you, follow the instinct.

But when you're trying to solve a problem, you should listen to your instincts but also use logic and reasoning to ensure you're making the best decision.

Gut instinct is considered to be so credible because it involves what you know and feel as the individual. You know what's working for you and what's not. You know yourself. You can feel it. So it's important enough to be considered.

Answer 2

Because it's real.

For people who have taken the time to develop their judgment skills, 'gut instinct' consists of all their experience and knowledge rolled into a 'shorthand' that requires very little time to execute.

So it seems as if the decision or inclination comes only from the 'gut' or is created by the 'instinct' when it is truly a superfast decision process based on the person's experiences and training.

For example, when the South Tower seemed to fall of its own volition, in front of his very eyes, Dan Rather exclaimed, "That looks just like controlled demolition!" Ever since, one seasoned engineer after another has attested to the fact that it is impossible to drop a skyscraper at the speed of a free-fall into its own footprint with nothing more than a collision and office-products fire. The temperatures are just too low.

As a result 'gut instinct' is rarely wrong.

Answer 3

When uncertainties loom large over , and logic and reason fail to analyse the situation,
the being seeks a deeper perception, and a person who has evolved into intuitional capabilities, tends to depend on it. It is this instinct called the "gut instinct"... sounds like guess, but is fairly correct if not mixed up with logic or expectations.

Answer 4

There is no choice. Everything is done through instinct and then justified through suitable logic and reasoning. Even where it appears that one has chosen a course based on logic and reasoning, the truth is that it is the gut instinct which guided one to go by that logic and reasoning.

Answer 5

Through prior experiences your brain can know what is going on, before you consciously know what is going on. Your brain then sends out signals to the body, to give you an uncomfortable feeling. There are times where you should base your decisions on logic and over rule what your "gut instincts" are saying... But that is as far as I will go with that. The book Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell better explains this...

Answer 6

if we would only trust our gut we would then act only because of our instincts and not our mind. Thus we will be more animal than human. So is better to do both.. both instinct and reason! Instinct is good sometimes , bur reason and logic makes us human

Answer 7

YES! Always trust your instincts. Ah, but use your logic and reason to understand why you feel like that. Don't let logic and reason talk you out of your 'gut feelings', but use them to understand, vocalise and explain yourself. That way you will grow into a confident, eloquent, stable and interesting person.
There is, of course, a difference between instinct and reason, but the two are complementary rather than exclusive.

Answer 8

Logic requires certainty, gut instinct only requires guts.

Answer 9

Depends on the situation. There are some behavioral things our subconscious can pickup on that will make us nauseous and in turn warn us about a person with ill intentions.

Animals are masters at reading us too, if you have a dog - he knows when you're uneasy about another person, or when you like another person - he'll pickup on your behavorial signs. So if you have a pet watch them if you aren't sure about another person.

As for gambling and such... I'd say knowing the game > logic.

Answer 10

in dangerous situations, you have to go with the gut ! You can't possibly predict how a criminal will act by taking time to reason it out.