Are you intuitive? Do you often receive sudden premonitions regarding a situation or a person and later find out that you are correct? Intuition is defined as “the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference” by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Many people live by their intuitions and proclaim that it’s their life philosophy.

In contrast, one of the formal definitions of “logic” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “the science of the formal principles of reasoning”. Is using logic over intuition a better way to construct our lives? Many scientists would have agreed.

However, one simply cannot deny that nagging voice or the crazy gut feelings directing us to act otherwise. Are they simply useless clutters of human psyche? Or are they the voices from one’s higher power as some claims to be?

The human race has come a very long way in the area of scientific development. However, there has not been any effective, yet scientific method to establish the validity of human intuitions. The problem lies in that science can only validate subject matters when the particular subject follows a “systematic” path where the knowledge can be verified repeatedly with the same results. This is the exact opposite of human intuitions.

Intuitive thoughts come to us suddenly, without warning, and without preparations. Mankind has tried great variety of methods to duplicate the results as we have observed in rituals practiced around the world. Others have chosen to pay a significant price to receive intuitive messages from the “professionals” hoping that these messages can redirect their lives for better. In recent years, I have noticed a soaring number of intuitive services available. This is not to support the validation of these types of services as many of them are not what they claim to be. However, this is the validation that the human psyche is tremendously hungry for answers. When our scientific inventions, rules, and logic can no longer solve our pain, we look for alternative places and hope that there will be a “magic” solution to life difficulties.

Using one’s intuitions and following “gut feelings” have been lifesaving for many. However, one cannot lose sight of the importance of logic reasoning. A person reasons solely with logic while ignoring intuitions can become rigid and restrictive in his or her experiences. Unnecessary pain often surfaces. How many times have we heard someone say that “I tried to follow the right rules, but this still happens…” Rules are good, but they are only guidelines.

In contrast, if a person blindly follows the heart and all the emotions that sometime can mask as intuitions, a chaotic life is guaranteed. I personally believe in the gift of intuition as rights of all mankind. Perhaps, one can even go further to call intuitions voices from the higher power. Whether this is the truth, it is up for another debate.

However, the important lessons of intuition are for one to learn how to balance it with logic reasoning, to trust oneself, and to honor one’s connections to the great experience we call Life. Only when we can truly honor ourselves, and take responsibility for our decisions and actions, we then can live a full life.

Intuition does not hold greater respect than logic. It never can, and it never should be the case. Instead, intuition can be utilized at the same time of our logic reasoning. As together, we establish a healthy frame of references that allow us to make sound decisions for a fulfilling life. So the questions to you are: “What should you do next?” and “what are your gut feelings about it?”

Please join us on the Philosophy forum for further discussions and share your thoughts about intuitions!