There is a lot of material that helps us to plan when solving problems, but what do we call intuition? It transcends reason. If we search the dictionary for terms related to intuitions, the word “show off” will appear. The definition that accompanies the word speaks of intuition, guessing or feeling that something is going to happen.
Yes, we have the ability to make decisions in seconds and not make mistakes. It therefore seems impossible for a mechanism that contributes so importantly to our survival to be governed by luck. Especially if we take into account the number of times this mechanism occurs.
- “By intuition.
- We will overcome the seemingly irreducible hostility that separates our human flesh from metal from engines.
- “Filippo Marinetti.
We know that we cannot always trust our first impressions, we all take into account many times that we trust them and they ended up failing, on the other hand, we also know that our intuition works with heuristics or shortcuts that, due to their globalized and generalist nature, are far away. to be precise.
“We tried by logic, but we discovered by intuition. ” – Henri Poincaré-
On the other hand, intuition has always been a mechanism more associated with women (that’s why we use the term “female intuition” in popular language). Moreover, it has always been considered to be something “magical”: a skill or a However, although science has not been able to explain certain situations, we know that its functioning has a closer and understandable explanation than magic.
The association mechanisms we have in our brains, many of which are fast and fast, are the basis of our intuition, they are so fast because they are able to work with a lot of information and because, in addition, they can do in a home away from the attention of our consciousness.
Abbie Conant’s story, told by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Intuitive Intelligence,” is not only a story of combating sexism in music, but also a reflection of the possibility of fostering intuition when reason interferes. Abbie played trombone? historically masculine instrument in Italy in 1980. He sent numerous requests to European orchestras and only the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra responded.
The hearing took place behind a curtain, as one of the wannabes was the son of a person known to the jurors, Abbie Conant played Ferdinand David’s concertino for trombone and missed a note, although he left the pessimistic test, was chosen to be part of the orchestra.
“The intellect confuses intuition. ” ? Piet Mondrian-
Music experts recognized, in a matter of seconds, the quality of a performance. After hearing the song performed by Conant, they were so sure they didn’t want to hear anymore.
The biggest surprise for them was when they asked the chosen trombonist to come out from behind the curtains and a woman appeared on stage, a woman who, in her mind, could not have the ability to play such an instrument, although they hired her, tested her extensively and eventually came to court and were recognized.
This is an example of how we can manipulate our environment to let intuition flow. The curtain is the secret of this story. When you canceled part of the thought, only sensitivity and purity remained. Without the curtain, Abbie’s value would be undermined by one of the ogres of intuition: prejudice.
Despite everything we’ve said, intuition is generally reliable when we have little time to make a decision.
Imagine being offered a change of department at the company where you work, and they also tell you it’s a decision you have to make urgently because they have to cover this new job. In cases where we don’t have time to make a decision, relying on our intuition is the most appropriate option.
It is also a good ally in processes where there is a great deal of information, so much so that it is impossible to place it on a scale where reason can be matched, in these cases intuition, when working in a room far from the center of our emotions, has greater power to give us a solution based on the amount of information, without saturating our logical system.
Intuition is not free to be changed by uncontrolled cultural contexts, prejudices or emotions, that is, it can do many tricks. That’s why we can turn it into a resource, but never a unique solution. There are certain situations where it is better to have sufficient time to make a conscious decision.
Finally, we can conclude that we can improve our intuitive process by trying to identify the quick associations with which intuition works, by processing them.
We can see the extent to which voters of a particular political party identify with a particular characteristic, or to what extent the inhabitants of a particular country follow a custom that identifies them as such.
Improving and outing such associations will make our intuition more effective, because the quick associations we can trust in our brains will be more accurate.
“Live not according to conventional wisdom, but with your aspirations, with your vehement intuition. -Antonio Gala-