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How do you use your intuition? Do you believe you have intuition in some mystical sense of the word, or do you think of it more as fears and hopes? I’m really curious about what you guys will say, because I’ve known high-achieving women who shake their heads at such silly ideas… as well as some who truly believe in intuition in terms of something you can tap into. (By the way, a post that makes a good companion to this one is last week's discussion on whether you believe in astrology!)
For my $.02, I definitely believe something like this exists, although I may have only felt it once or twice in my life. I particularly remember a weird hesitation around my first date with my husband — just a tiny voice. Our first meeting was at a friend’s birthday party at a bar, and as I’m sure I’ve written about before, I noticed him across the room and felt like I recognized him, like maybe he was an actor I couldn’t place. This was pretty unusual for me; I’ve never been the kind of woman to notice men across a crowded room. In any event, we struck up a conversation that lasted for hours, and he called me a day or two later to ask me out on our first date. (At Temple Bar in NoHo, if you must know… it's now sadly closed.)
The date was on the Friday of a holiday weekend, and I’d been looking forward to it, so I was surprised when I got to the door of Temple Bar and heard a little voice in my head: “You can turn back now,” she said. It wasn’t some ominous warning, just a prickle of recognition that this was a crossroads in my life. I shook it off incredulously — I’m relatively unkind to the voices in my head, so I may have even said “What the HELL — it’s just a date!” And I went in and had a great time, and we got married, and now we have two lovely kids together who we adore to pieces even when they annoy the crap out of us. Our family has had some journeys — paths that not many have to cross — and I don’t regret any of it, but it is interesting to me that that tiny voice in my head was right. I was at a crossroads — and I could have turned back if I felt fear or anxiety.
Over to you, readers — do you believe you have such a thing as intuition? (Do you associate it with a feminine thing — a woman’s intuition — or a divine being?) Has it guided you at all in life or in your career? How do you use your intuition?
Stock photo via Stencil.
Coach Laura
Yes, and yesterday I should have listened to it. It would make today less painful.
Anon
I believe in intuition, but not as some magical force. I believe that our subconscious sometimes picks up on things that we don’t consciously notice, and those things can impact our views leading to a sense of intuition. For example, horrible ex had Y personality trait and now when you meet a person with Y personality trait, you have a feeling that they would not be a good match.
Elegant Giraffe
+1 to this. I think we see more patterns than we realize and sometimes we can have a gut instinct based on that recognition.
Cat
+1, I will sometimes get a ‘gut feeling’ but I think of it as the voice of my subconscious, not that it’s a “feminine” thing or divine guidance. It’s usually right.
anon
+1. Whenever I don’t listen to my gut, I regret it immensely.
CountC
Another +1. I believe in trusting your gut, and I believe that your gut is working off of patterns.
Anon
Agreed. It can be subtle things that don’t bob to the surface of the consciousness.
For what it’s worth, my intuition can border on psychic. But it’s a matter of noticing tiny facial expressions, things people try to mask, or the small flashes that are gone very quickly.
anon
Yes, especially after reading The Gift of Fear. The way the author parses scary scenarios really helped me understand intuition better.
Go for it
+1
busybee
Only once. I knew that my pregnancy wouldn’t be viable, though I had no reason to think that. Although I was sad at the ultrasound, I wasn’t shocked, and have no explanation as to why I just knew.
I tend to agree with others who opined that “intuition” generally is really just your subconscious making sense of patterns.
Emma
Yes and I try to listen to it, but I also try to find some logic for why I feel that way— otherwise it’s easy to use intuition when what we really mean is discriminatory bias.
Anon
Yep, I actually have a Gift. There are certainly times though that it’s felt more like a curse. I perceive things – I get a vibe off things – photos, doorknobs, many people (not all), trees – anything tangible has an emotional signature. And if I’m in a crowd, I’ll pick up its vibe – at a crowded bar, I feel drunk even if I haven’t had a sip; a big sports victory, I feel euphoric. I became aware of it after a brush with death in my 30s. It makes living in a city overwhelming beyond belief sometimes. It’s a not insignificant reason I plan to move to the country in a few years. I feel physically and mentally better there. There are times I HAVE to leave for a weekend. The only people who know are my husband, my best friend, and my mother-in-law, all of whom are very spiritual people.
Karen Rose
You may be an empath.
Never too many shoes...
You may be an empath.
Go for it
It totally is. I’m one as well.
Anon
Yep, I am an empath, but I rarely label it because of reactions like ^
Tracy
I’m an “empath”, also, but I’m also an INFJ personality type. I understand that some do not want to be labeled as an empath, but people with INFJ personalties are usually more empathetic because their intuition allows them to genuinely feel energy around us. I come from a long line of women that are highly intuitive, and I myself, have predicted many things. No matter if you call it gut feeling or intuitive, my gifts also include being clairsentinent, which basically is like having a little voice telling you things in your head, so that you just know things. It’s very feel and it’s not always a good thing, especially when you sense someone’s passing, or an accident or comes across as deja vu. I’ve sensed many close relatives passings (actually visioned them prior), tapped into events or situations that my kids were going through (including a horribly abusive relationship that one of them had been going through and didn’t know how to get out of) and was able to confront it and support them out of it, it’s hightened my awareness of outside situations that have caused me to be overly vigilant and actually take the proper safety precautions to avoid horrific outcomes. Intuition is part of everyone, it just depends on how much we pay attention to our inner voice or gut, but also how we choose to develop that connection with ourselves to a deeper understanding.
Anonymous
Yes I believe in it. I have met people that I just knew were not good for me or been in situations that I knew I needed to get out of. I sometimes can sense something is going to happen. It actually makes me less paranoid or fearful than most of my friends.
waffles
Is it just me? I don’t really get the story in this post. Is Kat saying she wishes she had never met/married her husband?
Ellen
Of course not! Go back, please and reread it. All she is noting is that she had a feeling and she went forward anyway and obviously did NOT regret it. What the HIVE knows is that having intuition does NOT mean you automatically always follow your gut. Sometimes you have to do what you should do (like she did on the date), even if there is some little voice deep inside you that wants you to go in a different direction. She says that followed thru, had a great date, and now is very happy with 2 kids and hubby! She is very lucky b/c her husband is there for her too with the kids and that makes for a great life, especially b/c she can share it all with the HIVE every day. YAY KAT! You deserve the happiness you have secured by doing the right thing with him, and hope we can all live good lives like you! DOUBEL YAY for Corporette also!
Ses
I think she’s saying that her intuition flagged the date as a big crossroads that would change her life. Just that she had a choice and her intuition pointed that out, not that she wished she’d chosen differently.
Klmatta
Please have a look an article published in Science year 1997,febuary issue page 1269 another article mentioned therein. Scientists make smart decisions based on their Intutions. I am a reseacher and try to listen to my gut feelings, Intuition.
Dwight Schrute
Yes, I have very strong intuition. Over my life so far I’d say it has been 99% accurate, which is both a blessing and a curse. It usually feels like a nudge away from something (decisions, people, etc) or a pull toward something. I definitely don’t talk about it because it can’t be explained very well. Even now I’m struggling to describe it because it feels very nebulous. I am naturally very observant and analytical, which helps, but doesn’t completely explain the feeling. My husband has observed it many times and says that I just know things.
Also, for some of the other commenters, being an empath is definitely a thing. I just recently learned that term, but I also fit into that category. I can feel emotions/energy all around me. It can get very overwhelming. Public spaces can be challenging. My energy is also very strong and can change a room. Many former bosses and coworkers have commented on it over the years.
I do think there’s a correlation with my strong intuition and empathic abilities. I also don’t know how or why those things developed. I tend to be skeptical when people make claims (like I’m describing), but I’ve met enough people who share similar characteristics that I think there’s a spectrum of things that can’t be easily explained. People are weird :)
Tina
Intuition Empath right here. Both came through strongly at age 5 when my alcoholic father first became physically abusive to my mother. From then on, I cared for and nurtured my (then 3yr old) sister, as a mother would and I had a watchful eye on my father. Whether first thing in the morning or when he arrived home from town, I could size him up and tell whether to steer clear, or if I was safe. It didnt matter if I was in the same room or looking at him through a window, I knew with 5 seconds. It wasnt a frown or a scowl, it wasnt slamming doors or stomping, I believe I picked up on very slight cues.
Hopefully your childhood was a great one? You were unsure of how you had those abilities so I wanted to reply and explain mine. Maybe it will help you? I plan to explain more in a general comment.
Dwight Schrute
Thanks for sharing such an intense part of your life. I’m sorry that you and your family experienced that. I didn’t have anything specifically traumatic in my childhood, but I did have an immense amount of responsibility for my family at a very young age, probably 4 or 5 years old. It did make me very aware of what was going on and paying attention to everything. It would make sense if that developed into what I have today.