Trusting intuition regarding major life decisions

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

I'm talking about momentary flashes of insight that guide a MAJOR DECISION IN YOUR LIFE. You can call it Ni if it helps, but I'm particularly talking about a moment where you step back and survey a situation subconsciously to gain sudden insight into whatever is going on. I've seen in described in psychological literature (by Liberman, et al) as implicit processing -- beyond or before language.

Do you trust those insights? Have you ever been betrayed by those intuitive leaps?

 

[The Ü™]

I think it depends on the situation. I tend to trust the workability of my own ideas. For example, I'm the kind of person who stubbornly thinks that video game movie adaptations could be made to work as legitimate movies.

I also find that I'm right about many things that I conceive -- such as what will happen. I don't know how I get the insights, but for some reason, they happen. Of course, a skeptic would be more inclined to call this a coincidence.

In regards to intuitions to things that aren't my forte -- mainly physical problems -- I tend to be at a loss. I don't have a really good intuition of understanding what may happen if I, let's say, stack boxes too high. I mean, yeah, sure, common sense suggests that if I stack them too high, they'll fall over. However, I'm not good at understanding what is and isn't too high. This, of course, is just a metaphoric example.

But at times, I tend to be in denial of my intuitions. I'll make an assumption about something and I'll often turn out to be right. But at the same time, I try not to jump to any conclusions because I have it in my mind that there is always a chance that I won't be right.

 

[Thursday]

Yes
I am learning that my Ni is wiser than I am....or something
and i have yet to be betrayed by them, as long as my emotions are even keeled

 

[Orangey]

I'm the kind of person who stubbornly thinks that video game movie adaptations could be made to work as legitimate movies.

They can, I think, as long as we keep them away from the likes of Mr. Boll and Mr. Anderson (and their ilk).

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

I think it depends on the situation. I tend to trust the workability of my own ideas. For example, I'm the kind of person who stubbornly thinks that video game movie adaptations could be made to work as legitimate movies.

I also find that I'm right about many things that I conceive -- such as what will happen. I don't know how I get the insights, but for some reason, they happen. Of course, a skeptic would be more inclined to call this a coincidence.

In regards to intuitions to things that aren't my forte -- mainly physical problems -- I tend to be at a loss. I don't have a really good intuition of understanding what may happen if I, let's say, stack boxes too high. I mean, yeah, sure, common sense suggests that if I stack them too high, they'll fall over. However, I'm not good at understanding what is and isn't too high. This, of course, is just a metaphoric example.

But at times, I tend to be in denial of my intuitions. I'll make an assumption about something and I'll often turn out to be right. But at the same time, I try not to jump to any conclusions because I have it in my mind that there is always a chance that I won't be right.

I'm not really talking about intuitive leaps about danger or pragmatic things. I'm talking about intuitive flashes that tell you where to steer your life. For example, I've had flashes of intuition about pursuing psychology, and pursuing spirituality, and about incompatibility with people I'm dating. All of these I consider major life decisions, and I'm particularly talking about that. Sorry the OP wasn't clear. I''ll clean it up.

 

[cafe]

Do you trust those insights? Have you ever been betrayed by those intuitive leaps?

I usually trust them now. I've regretted not doing so more than once.

I've been misled by them more than betrayed by them, but my inaccurate intuitive leaps have a pattern based in my insecurities and the themes are familiar enough now that I have a pretty good idea when I'm tripping. Those times, I try to hold off on speaking of or acting on my on impulses until I've had time to come up with some kind of concrete verification. Usually there is none and I chill out and realize I was tripping.

Edit: As far as major life decisions, yes, I do tend to listen to those. Not in exclusion of everything else, but if I get a flash like you describe and it's feasible to follow it, I try to do so.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

I've been misled by them more than betrayed by them, but my inaccurate intuitive leaps have a pattern based in my insecurities and the themes are familiar enough now that I have a pretty good idea when I'm tripping...

Edit: As far as major life decisions, yes, I do tend to listen to those. Not in exclusion of everything else, but if I get a flash like you describe and it's feasible to follow it, I try to do so.

That's exactly what I fear, that those major life decisions are being guided or tainted by insecurities. So far, I think the MAJOR decisions have all been pretty accurate, especially looking back, as I notice that my intuition in the past regarding major decisions was accurate, even though I didn't follow it.

Have you ever noticed that the MAJOR intuitions were innaccurate or tainted?

 

[cafe]

That's exactly what I fear, that those major life decisions are being guided or tainted by insecurities. So far, I think the MAJOR decisions have all been pretty accurate, especially looking back, as I notice that my intuition in the past regarding major decisions was accurate, even though I didn't follow it.

Have you ever noticed that the MAJOR intuitions were innaccurate or tainted?

No. Anytime I've had a real bolt out of the blue on a major decision, it's been fine. The decisions I feel ambiguous about are the ones that lacked that kind of inspiration and and the ones I really regret are ones I knew were a mistake before I implemented them.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

^^ good to know.

I have a friend in UCLA med school who's studying under a professor who writes a lot about exploring intuition. She distinguishes it from other feelings in that it's not emotionally charged. Meaning you see things and don't feel extremely anything about it, you just understand. I'd say that a pretty accurate assessment. Also, I think there's a lot of peace and a sense of hope/empowerment that follows realizations like those.

 

[cascadeco]

^^ good to know.

I have a friend in UCLA med school who's studying under a professor who writes a lot about exploring intuition. She distinguishes it from other feelings in that it's not emotionally charged. Meaning you see things and don't feel extremely anything about it, you just understand. I'd say that a pretty accurate assessment. Also, I think there's a lot of peace and a sense of hope/empowerment that follows realizations like those.

This makes sense to me. There have been a few instances in my life where I have 'known' what I needed to do - and these instances have involved major life decisions. I would describe these cases as being overwhelming in their sense of clarity, and not wrapped up in emotion, other than recognizing I would regret it if I did not follow my intuition, and fear of going forward with what I 'knew' I needed to do . But I went ahead anyway - setting fear into the background where it could watch. (fear being present because the actions taken were outside of my immediate comfort zone - but I knew I'd be ok, and it was still the right decision)

And yes, the clarity brings a great sense of empowerment, hope, and most importantly, peace.

There have been times where I have mistook emotions for what at the time I thought was intuition - but really I think it was wishful thinking, couched in rationalizations and idealism. There were a lot of emotional undercurrents, and a sense of my trying to stifle tiny misgivings for more of this 'feeling' of intuition - which isn't the same thing as what you are describing.

I think I'm much more aware now of the differences, and am more in tune with my emotions and responses - so I haven't made mistakes recently in mistaking intuition.

 

[Brendan]

Do you trust those insights? Have you ever been betrayed by those intuitive leaps?

I do. If I trust the decision then at least I can say i willingly tried. I have not been betrayed to this point, actually. When I don't follow my own insights I usually am dissatisfied with the results.

I actually have made several relatively big life decisions recently. "Big" in the sense that they've had a big impact on my life, if not in the long run. But since they have had big impacts on how I see things and how I interact with my world lately, I feel as though they'll count as big life decisions some time in the future.

The decisions were rather personal. Interestingly enough, they encompass almost my entire waking life. Friends, interests and school & work.

 

[01011010]

I have a friend in UCLA med school who's studying under a professor who writes a lot about exploring intuition. She distinguishes it from other feelings in that it's not emotionally charged. Meaning you see things and don't feel extremely anything about it, you just understand. I'd say that a pretty accurate assessment. Also, I think there's a lot of peace and a sense of hope/empowerment that follows realizations like those.

Has she published anything? I'm really interested.

 

[disregard]

I always use my intuition.. especially in regard to major life decisions. It is always with me, helping me to stay on my (intuitively) destined path. I have indeed been betrayed by those leaps.. My lack of life experience has led me to be far too trusting and naive in regard to committing to a few of them.. But my intuition was reaching out.. helping me to acquire this experience! Yes.. it's a bit mystical.. But I am always in favor of that which will give me the most experience, the boldest impression, the lasting lesson.

 

[helen]

I've ignored it a couple times, and I regretted doing so afterwards. In fact, consciously ignoring it has made me physically ill more than once.

I trust my intuition more now, and try to work with it, although I take other factors into consideration when making big decisions. It hasn't failed me yet, that I can think of.

However, the intuitions do not always come when I want them. There was a time when I was very excited about my intuitive "skill" and would through careful attention and searching self analysis try to "make" my intuition work for me whenever I thought it would be useful. This made me stressed, and resulted in disturbing, vivid nightmares about witch craft and manipulation. So I stopped.

My intuitive flashes come unexpectedly, sometimes in frequent clusters, and sometimes not at all for long, long stretches of time. But when they come, they come, and when they don't, there is always Ti.

It is mildly annoying that while they are sometimes about important life decisions, they are often enough about little trivial things that I could care less about. *shrugs*

Btw, I do not think this means I am in any way psychic. I think this is a highly normal function of the brain, where it receives and groups impressions and makes associations without us realizing fully what is going on, etc.

 

[Zergling]

This makes sense to me. There have been a few instances in my life where I have 'known' what I needed to do - and these instances have involved major life decisions.

I tend to get these as well, they are thoughts from the back of my mind that say things like "if you do ...., .... will probably happen", or 'These people will probably do ...", etc.

I don't think of it as an "intuitive function", I see it more as a pattern matching gut instinct, although the way it works does in general fit how descriptions of the intuitive functions and intuition in general work.

It also tends to be right much more often than it is wrong, (some decisions I regret come from not following it) more so than the direct logic parts of my mind, so I pay attention to it when making any decisions, including the big life ones. When my patter matching gut instinct/intuition is confused or has nothing to say, I tend to get a bit worried and unsure (most often this happens when emotions get mixed in, or when two different choices get flip flopped as the most likely possibilities for occuring.)

 

[Jae Rae]

I've gotten hits, a Zing! feeling, that sudden knowing that something IS a certain way. Those are almost always right.

My son's middle school was going to be under construction for three years, starting his first year. I investigated a supposedly excellent, small magnet school across town; I found the artwork on the walls rather primary schoolish, but I knew a number of moms who were planning to send their kids there.

One day a feeling swept over me as I sat in the yard of the local school that was to be under construction - it had a huge yard, beautiful trees, a track, a swimming pool and a great reputation. In an instant I knew my son should attend that school, even under construction.

And it turned out all of the kids from our neighborhood who started at the magnet school transferred back after a year or two.

 

[alcea rosea]

Do you trust those insights? Have you ever been betrayed by those intuitive leaps?

I should trust my introverted intuition more. I trust Ne pretty much and really enjoy using it (surprise, surprise, lol) and it has worked pretty well until now. I do have trouble trusting my Ni. I should develop it.

 

[bandit]

I don't usually expect when my intuition will come to me. It just does, like I have a wired and programmed system deep in my subconscious mind that bleeps warning signals and alerts.

My intuition has always been right about so many things in my life. I now trust it very much. With age, I've learnt to listen to my intuition more often than I had ever done so before. Like others, I too regret not paying sufficient attention to it when I was younger.

The one thing that strikes as most interesting to me is how minute these 'momentary flashes of insight', 'zing!s', 'intuitive leaps' can be, no matter how major the life decisions are, comparative to everything that I've experienced in my life. It's like an alarm clock that goes off when it's time for me to wake up. Either I wake up or be late for work... No 'but's about it (e.g. didn't hear it go off, slept back after the alarm went off, not enough sleep, etc.),. It has to be a conscious decision to take it or to leave it. For my case these days, I've decided to take it more often than to leave it.

It's so strange that I find myself 'knowing' if an event is worth my effort to invest time into it, if an acquaintance is 'good' or 'bad' company, if I should be turning left or right at an unfamiliar Y-Junction, to do or not to do, to say or not to say... All these sorts of decision making, literally and figuratively speaking.

Sometimes, my intuition tells me outrageously unbelievable things that I find very difficult to swallow. I think this was one of the main reasons why my younger naive, gullible and rigid self couldn't see why I should have followed it.

No matter how 'soft' the intuitive 'voice' is, no matter how incredibly absurd it may seem (at that moment), no matter how petty a problem may appear to be, I'll be sure to listen to it more closely now

 

[Eileen]

I'm not really talking about intuitive leaps about danger or pragmatic things. I'm talking about intuitive flashes that tell you where to steer your life. For example, I've had flashes of intuition about pursuing psychology, and pursuing spirituality, and about incompatibility with people I'm dating. All of these I consider major life decisions, and I'm particularly talking about that. Sorry the OP wasn't clear. I''ll clean it up.

Yeah. Particularly with dating, my gut instincts have never been wrong. I trust my intuition about people for sure. Most everything ELSE, I engage in excessive rumination about.

 

[JustDave]

I'm talking about momentary flashes of insight that guide a MAJOR DECISION IN YOUR LIFE. You can call it Ni if it helps, but I'm particularly talking about a moment where you step back and survey a situation subconsciously to gain sudden insight into whatever is going on. I've seen in described in psychological literature (by Liberman, et al) as implicit processing -- beyond or before language.

Do you trust those insights? Have you ever been betrayed by those intuitive leaps?

Ahh yes, shower moments as many people have called them. I often have flashes of insight. And, always trust them implicitly. However, when I was younger I used to act on them immediately. Now I prefer to let them simmer for awhile before acting.