Do you know if you’re a more rational or intuitive thinker?
You may be someone that tends to have hunches, feelings or intuitions. At a given moment, these may tell you what decision to make.
On the other hand, you may be a little more rational, and you think about things in depth before deciding.
Here are some signs to find out if you’re more rational or intuitive.
Intuitive People and Rational People
First of all, it’s important to note that being rational or intuitive is not exclusive.
That means that everyone has intuitions sometimes, and everyone obviously thinks about their problems rationally before making a decision.
However, you can’t deny that some people are more intuitive than others. Some people let their hunches lead them more often, while others, who are more cautious, think things over many times before making a move.
These ways of behaving and deciding are often related to your personality. However, something interesting that you ought to know is that going with your intuition is not completely irrational at all.
Experts say that, in reality, a lot of your decisions are made according to your hunches and feelings. They don’t simply come from spontaneous actions, either.
We will explain why below.
Read: Thoughts that Limit Your Mind
A Look at Intuitive People
Hunches, premonitions…We all know what they are. They are sudden feelings that tell you that it may be better to go down a certain path, or that someone won’t be a good influence on you and it’s best to avoid them.
We often don’t accept these hunches as reasonable because they come from emotions or feelings, and not from their brain. However, this is not the truth.
Hunches are actually quick value judgements that come from your personality and previous experiences. Everything that happens in your life is saved and stored along with the feeling that it caused. As a result, when you are faced with a stimuli, sudden feelings happen that tell you to act a certain way.
Thus, they are incidents based on decisions you have already made and lessons you have learned in the past. They are also related to your personality.
All of this is hidden in the complicated world of intuition, where sudden feelings that happen in your mind without you really knowing why.
There are indeed people that always follow intuitions and don’t ignore them. They pay attention to and obey what many people call “instinct.”
However, be careful. You have to keep in mind that because these feelings and these hidden hunches in our hearts are so fast, they aren’t always the best or proper answer. They don’t always work.
Therefore, other people are more cautious and, despite having these feelings, they prefer to brush them aside and be more careful. These people have what they call more “rational” personalities.
You might like: Tips for Clearing your Mind and Sleeping Better
A Look at Rational People
Rational thinking is guided by conscious information. It’s data regarding what we have in front of us, on what we can see and touch, on what we can compare.
The decisions of rational people are much more slow and cautious. It’s not that they have less resources, but rather that they are more pensive and perhaps a little more insecure.
However, sometimes this is a good thing because it forces you to go through a type of “quality control” before making a decision. These are people that also fear making mistakes and always look for the right answer and the best decision. Consequently, they are more careful.
Unfortunately, however, sometimes people don’t have that much time to make a decision. In addition, sometimes we can’t get all the information we need before deciding on something.
For example, you can’t know everything about a person before deciding if you want to fall in love with them or not. It just happens, and that’s why, in reality, most people are intuitive.
Emotions always have more power than reasoning. Humans are, essentially, emotional creatures.
Overall, though, it’s best to keep a balance. Don’t rush when making a decision, but don’t be too cautious, either. Insecurity often comes from some type of existential suffering, and relying on intuition too much can lead to impulsiveness or repeated mistakes. Thus, it’s best to find a balance between the two.
Do you agree? How do you see yourself? Are you more rational or intuitive?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
