Daily Dose of Inspiration – Intuition > Knowledge

Carl Jung noted, “Intuition does not denote something contrary to reason, but something outside of the province of reason.”

Intuitions play the role that observations do in science: they support and undermine various theories. Conceptual analyses are rejected when intuitive counterexamples are presented. Moral theories are rejected when they lead to intuitively revolting results. Theories of mind and language and metaphysics rise and fall depending on how well they can be made to fit our intuitions, even in bizarre science fiction hypothetical scenarios. 

But why trust our intuitions? Our intuitions often turn out to contradict each other, or they are contradicted by empirical evidence, or they vary between people and between groups of people. Compared to scientific methods, the philosopher’s use of intuitions as his primary tool doesn’t seem to have been very productive. Also, we can’t calibrate our intuitions, because wherever we have a non-intuition standard against which to calibrate our intuitions, we don’t need to use intuition in the first place. Moreover, philosophers have typically known very little about where their intuitions come from, and why they should trust them in the first place!

My take on it, beyond the complex scientific words is, if you have a hunch/intuition/gut-feeling, trust it completely. Learning to trust your intuition will be one of the more significant journeys you will take to reach the peak of your authenticity towards your natural talents and expectations in every aspect of your life.