gpmt

I don't really like using instructional manuals when I have to put something together, especially the ones that look like mini-encyclopedias. I prefer using my instincts and intuition to figure it out, which is said to be our "knowing pointing the way." We're born with both intuition and instincts. The difference between the two, supposedly, is that intuition is something we gain through experience, and instinct isn't based on having any prior experience; however, they are words often used interchangeably, and both skills can be extremely helpful in our lives. Following directions from a manual can be useful, even necessary at times, especially when something has a lot of steps, but sometimes it seems that the instructions can almost make things more complicated. One time I was putting together a clothing rack and was following the directions, and when it came time to put in the screws, there weren't any. I checked the list of the contents and it said that eight screws were included, but after searching each individual bag of contents a few times, I was absolutely certain there were none, and was prepared to go back to the store and get another clothing rack and start over. I finally found a little piece of paper at the bottom of the box that said the screws were already screwed in to the bar and you can "omit step five in the instructions." Good to know. It made me wonder how many people put together the contents, and if the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, which it seemed like in that particular instance, you end up with a little piece of paper at the bottom of a box telling you what you need to know, if you' re lucky! I think that's why I've gotten used to listening to my intuition a lot of the time when I'm figuring out how to work something because sometimes I feel that things are made more complicated than they need to be, and since I consider myself capable of figuring out most things, why not give it a try. If I happen to get stuck and need to use a manual, it's there to refer to -- plus, it can just be fun to challenge ourselves to figure it out on our own, like a Rubik's cube.

Intuition enables us to decide what is right, not what is necessarily good or easy. It is concerned with what we gain from our choice rather than what comes out as a result of that choice.

What exactly is our intuition and how does it work?