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Wha is the difference between instinct and intuition? How would wou describe it?

Elvi 5 Jan 26
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3

Finally, a no brainer.

Instinct is an innate tendency toward certain behaviors. Something that is essentially hardwired into the machinery of the animal.

Intuition is a process that is always operating at the unconscious level that allows us to 'know' certain things without actually thinking about them analytically.

Examples of instinctual behavior are: A robin "knows" how to build a nest a certain way without being taught. A turtle lays her eggs on just this one island. Salmon go to a certain headwater to spawn.

Examples of intuition would be when you meet someone and feel uneasy in their presence without knowing why or solving a problem without consciously thinking about it. Just knowing the answer to a riddle.

The difference between the two can be extremely subtle, and indeed the two are often solidly linked, but they remain distinctly different. Many things in science are counterintuitive. They are thoughts and ideas that are not part of our natural logic patterns so our subconscious can't deal with them and arrive at the solution that best describes the phenomenon. Relativity is a great example.

This is a good and enlightening article on intuition:

[huffingtonpost.com]

And this from Scientific American is a nice 'feel good' article about human behavior. In it, the two ideas of instinct and intuitive behaviors are linked.

[scientificamerican.com]

0

I think maybe intuition is something you already kind of knew anyway while instinct is in the moment. that is just my take on it.

0

I think instinct can easily lead us astray, learning to ignore some instincts make it easier to live in the modern world. When new drivers drive on the shoulder of the road even though they know they should not, it is instinctually avoiding close proximity to incoming traffic, intuition is the naturalization of staying in lane and not needing to tell yourself to do it, making it feel like an instinct. I feel like I’m on the right train of thought with this.

2

Instinct doesn't require any contemplation, whereas intuition does.

4

Instinct = I really want to have sex with her.

Intuition = Man, I'm gonna be paying for that for a long time.

LMAO REALLY loud!!!!!!

3

Instinct is something we inherit, an animal instinct.

Intuition come form experience and subconcious logic.

Intuition can also sometimes associated to a feeling that comes from "spiritual magic." This understanding of the word often is the source of mythicism.

Very well done!

@Leutrelle Thank You, every once in a while when the space aliens take over my body I say something smart.

@DavidLaDeau I was just scratching my head until I read your comment🙂

Made this much more concise than me lol. I like it.

1

Instinct is a subconscious behavioral response to stimuli that has become ingrained in a species through natural selection. Intuition is the ability to understand something instantly without further thought.

1

instinct pushes, intuition pulls.

Heavy🙂

4

If we're talking science: Instinct is behaviour you have ready at birth. Breathing (or fighting against something that keeps you from breathing), blinking, or more complex behavior like nesting, acting differently around children.

Intuition is something not everyone uses to the same degree or accuracy. It's not a magical "know the future" thing it's more to do with your subconscious working out logic or senarios and sending the answer to your conscious brain. It's a shortcut and is more reliable with practice and better knowledge/experience, but not perfect or mystical.

2

Instinct animal... intuition human. Instinct I was born with... Intuition was taught to me.

5

Instinct is an innate or inborn reaction. Intuition is a sensing based on sudden recognition of qualities in the situation which carry real similarities to past experiences or of previously experienced patterns. Its basis is cognitive, not emotional, although the sudden awareness may evoke an emotional response.

What he said.

1

I've always used these terms interchangeably. If I get an uneasy feeling about someone, is that instinct or intuition? I've never drawn any distinction.

1

instinct is a thoughtless act, we simply do what the situation calls for at that moment because we're wired to act/react in such a way. reaction.

intuition involves pause for thought. should i do A or follow my intuition and go with B? action
that's my .02, anyway.

5

Instinct (in my opinion) is inherent in the dna of an animal. intuition may be in part based on instinct, but also includes detailed observation of subtleties in the current environment,

1

Instinct is built in by nature. Intuition is an emotional feeling. (IMHO)

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