Intellect & Instinct
Our ancestors, to a great extent, succeeded based upon physical labor they performed. Here in the 21st century we succeed, to a great extent, based on our thoughts and how we mentally process information. Our thoughts and perceptions go far deeper than we consciously realize. My academic training is in the area of psychology and sociology. I remember the day that the concept of our conscious mind and our subconscious mind was presented to me. Initially, it’s hard to realize that we know things that impact our behavior, but we may not even be aware of this knowledge.
Our minds have been described as icebergs with a small amount appearing above the surface while the majority of the mass exists below the surface and outside of our awareness. We see the impact of the subconscious mind, or instinct, in the natural world around us. Migratory birds know where to go and when they should leave in order to deal with the changing seasons. Wild animals know how to hunt and how to protect themselves from natural predators. These are not lessons they were taught, but the knowledge exists in the form of instinct. We should always be learning and expanding our conscious mind, but at the same time, we need to be aware of the subtle cues we can take from our subconscious mind.
I’m a huge baseball fan and enjoy the split-second interaction between pitchers and batters. Research has shown when a pitcher throws a 100-mile-per-hour fastball sixty feet and six inches from the batter, the batter has to make a decision in a fraction of a second whether he is going to swing or not. Further research and slow motion video has revealed that batters can’t wait until they can visualize and process whether the pitch is going to be a ball or a strike. Therefore, great hitters have to decide whether they’re going to swing or not based on a series of very subtle almost imperceptible signals. If you ask a great hitter why he swung at a particular pitch, he’s likely to shrug and respond, “It just felt right.”
We’ve all had the experience of meeting someone we connected with immediately as if we were kindred spirits. Conversely, we’ve all met people whom we instantly didn’t trust and wanted to avoid. These instincts should not be relied upon exclusively, but they should never be ignored. When we have one of those feelings about a person or situation and we can’t logically identify why we feel that way, there may be subtle signs or perceptions that are triggering something in our subconscious. Our intellect can help us validate or override our instincts, but we should always be aware of our subconscious feelings.
As you go through your day today, commit to using your whole mind.
Today’s the day!