Going With Your Gut
I am a good decision maker, by which I mean that I make decisions pretty quickly and then stick with them without wavering. I just get a sense that X is the correct way to go, and I go with it, very rarely looking back or considering the other options.
I recently read an article about decision-making that began with this thought:
I became obsessed with this question: How do I know if what I’m thinking is coming from my brain or my gut? And if there is such a thing as gut-level instinct separate from my rational brain, how do I know that I can really trust it?
Uh… I don’t know. I know I use rational thought to gather evidence and define the options and then I go to the gut-level to ask myself A, B, or C. But when does the brain hand off the process to the gut, and why did we ever think the gut would be as good as a brain when deciding the right way to go?
The article mixes up using your gut to make a decision and using your gut to sense danger — two completely different jobs for your gut to do beyond process food — but it’s full of interesting thoughts about the decision-making process.
Do you feel like you make decisions well or do you struggle to know what you want to do?
8 comments
I’ll go first: I struggle. Even with rational thought, sometimes the answer really isn’t clear. Sense where what “feels right” comes into play.
Right now I’m struggling given the wave of job ads flooding in for this area. Are we making the right decision about moving? My rational brain would argue no, but my gut is saying yes. Both Grey and I are feeling a lot more hopeful about the prospect of this change.
So I guess it depends?
My husband often gets frustrated when I can’t make a decision, but it is because I truly don’t care enough to have an opinion (for example: where do you want to eat tonight?). It really depends on the decision and what we are talking about because for things like where I went to college, where I went to law school, etc. I went with my gut and it definitely steered me the right way!
For me, it kinda depends on the decision. However, I am more likely to weigh all options carefully and not “go with [my] gut,” which has sometimes led to analysis paralysis.
For me, decisions about myself are generally easier for me to make and I rarely question my choice. But when it comes to matters relating to my kids, such as where to send them to school, then I tend to have more difficulty, because the decision has so much more weight and sometimes it feels like a wrong choice would ruin them. (Not that that is the case in reality but it can feel that way.) Even if I am drawn to a certain decision regarding them, I usually take my time because sometimes my choice starts with what is better/easier for me and I don’t want to make a selfish decision vs one that is best for them.
The author makes a good point which is relevant to me. If you are an anxious person, as the author of the article points out, your gut will likely steer you to a decision based on fear rather than reason. This is likely to make gut-based decisions bad calls. For example, not investing in good index funds because you are afraid of market fluctuations, or not taking life-changing trips because you are afraid to fly.
I am a person who tends towards anxiety, so I try not to use my “gut” feelings. I bypass those gut feelings and then write rational pro and cons lists to make the big decisions.
This was a really interesting article, particularly the way she linked in fears and negative instincts to it.
I don’t believe in “rational thinking” either – simply because it seems so black and white, whereas many people will argue that they are thinking rationally and have completely opposing views/make completely opposite decisions. Also, I don’t find pros and cons very helpful either, because I think it is easy to stack those to lean the way our guts want us to go.
Gut decisions for me though, have to be backed up by my own logic. There are times though when logical thought might point one way, and I just can’t make the leap if it doesn’t feel right.
You’ve really got me thinking now.
I’m getting really good at following my gut and being OK with it.
I am the world’s most indecisive person. I hate having to make a decision — because what if it’s the wrong one?? Some years ago at work, my team & I did a “what colour are you?” seminar. We had to answer questionnaires (which statements sounded the most like us) and then were grouped by colour according to our strengths & weaknesses. Greens were pie-in-the-sky dreamers and thinkers. Blues were management material — they liked taking charge and making decisions. Reds were analytical — we like to gather and analyse information. I was off the chart red. My score for “I like to make decisions,” however, was absolute rock bottom. 😉