Are you the type of person who trusts your gut? Or do you prefer to analyze things logically? Many people tend to fall on one side of the spectrum or another. But what if there is a third way? What if you could use both intuition and instincts to your advantage?

Intuition and instincts are both parts of our internal compass, which is why they often get confused. They are both ways that we gain insight into something without taking the time to process it first; therefore, they’re both an “instinct” in that sense.

However, they are also slightly different. Understanding the difference between intuitions and instincts can help you make better decisions in almost any situation.

What Are Examples of Intuition?

Intuition is knowing something without necessarily having any proof about it. In other words, it’s an idea that just comes to you without clear deliberation or reasoning. You may have a feeling or idea about someone or a decision, but you may not have any proof to substantiate why you feel this inclination .

Intuition can leave you feeling like you have insight into a person or situation, but you can’t put your finger on why. It’s a unique gut feeling that can be based on the information you have, but not enough data to process logically. It can be particularly helpful when you need to make quick decisions without much information.

What’s even more fascinating about intuition is that psychological research suggests that our intuitions are often more accurate than our rational thought. In other words, when it comes down to it, logic is often unreliable.

This is can be reflected in people who check all of the boxes on a list but you still have a feeling that there is something off about them. Only to discover after giving them a chance that their toxic behaviors are revealed and your initial gut feeling was spot on.

What Are Examples of Instincts?

An instinct is a natural tendency or impulse. It’s a built-in impulse or inclination that we are born with and learn. For example, the instinct to survive is something we are born with- eat, breathe, and sleep. Learned instincts include an impulse to run when faced with a fearful situation.

Additionally, an instinct may feel like it’s coming from inside you, but you don’t have control over it. For example, even if you choose not to pursue the instinct to participate in the act of procreation, it’s still something that you are inclined to do.

On the other hand, our instinct to run from fear is a little different. Although we are born with the instinct to survive, the instinct to run from something is learned.

For example, the instinct to freeze when facing danger can get you killed. But learning to develop the instinct to navigate fear better can save your life.

It’s in our nature to learn how to navigate our instincts so that we can take more appropriate forms of action in any situation.

The Difference Between Intuition and Instincts?

There are a few key differences between intuition and instincts that can help us understand their roles a little better. 

Intuition is a sense of unique awareness about someone or something without a clear reason. Whereas an instinct is a primal or biological response from the brain and body.

Intuition is associated with “right brain” thought processes, whereas instincts are associated with the “left brain” thought processes. Meaning, intuitions are processed through emotions, feelings, and images that happen on the right side of your brain.

On the other hand, instincts are processed through operations on the left side of your brain, using logic, reason, and data to influence your reactions.

How to Develop Intuition and Instincts

It’s not as easy to develop either intuition or instincts. Some people are just born with more of a knack for one or the other, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work on them. Here are a few exercises for developing both: 

• Listen to your gut to develop intuition. If you feel like something is a good idea, go with it. If you feel like it’s a bad idea, don’t do it. Don’t overthink it; just follow your first gut feeling. You can’t control your gut feeling, but you can learn to trust and value it. 
• Conduct research with a critical eye to develop instincts. When you’re researching something, try to look at it with a critical eye. Don’t just take whatever you’re reading at face value. Question what it means and how accurate it is. This can help you start to develop the instincts that you need to navigate any situation more competently. 
• Focus on your reasoning to develop instincts. When you’re trying to learn better instincts in situations where you need to react quickly, it’s important to learn about emotions. You have to learn how you react in certain situations and why. Normal life experiences will reveal this and give you some insight on how to readjust your first instincts in certain situations. Using reason or logic based exercises can help develop thinking skills and our instincts.

Are Intuition and Instincts Reliable?

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to intuition and instincts is to view them as black and white. They have a gut feeling that something is good or bad, and they don’t question it.

However, we should all be a little more skeptical of our intuitive and instinctual impulses. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore your intuitive impulses or instincts. It just means that you should look at them with a critical eye. You should analyze where they’re coming from and why you feel the way you do.

Learning how to discern our intuitions and instincts is important, especially when relying on them has failed us in the past. Sometimes what we think is a reliable gut feeling or instinct can be heavily influenced by our past experiences or physical, mental, and emotional state, causing a trigger to make decisions accordingly but not necessarily favorably.

Final Words

Understanding the difference between intuitions and instincts can be helpful in so many situations. Whether you’re trying to decipher a feeling or trying to understand someone else, knowing where your response and feelings are coming from can be very helpful.

And while you can’t control how you feel or what you think about, you can learn how to recognize when you’re feeling intuitively or or reacting instinctively. You can also learn how to interpret those feelings and reactions in a more helpful way.