Intuition facts for kids

A phrenological mapping of the brain – phrenology was among the first attempts to correlate mental functions with specific parts of the brain

Intuition is like having a "gut feeling" or knowing something without needing to think about it step-by-step. It's when you just "get" something, or you have a strong sense about what to do, even if you can't explain why. People use the word "intuition" in many ways. It can mean having a direct link to hidden knowledge. It can also be an unconscious thought process. Sometimes it's called an inner sensing or a quick understanding of patterns. Intuitive knowledge often gives you a good idea, but it might not be perfectly exact.

The word intuition comes from the Latin word intueri, which means "to consider." It also comes from the Middle English word intuit, meaning "to think deeply." When you use your intuition, people sometimes say you are "trusting your gut."

What is Intuition in Psychology?

Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Many thinkers in psychology have looked at intuition.

Early Ideas on Intuition

• Sigmund Freud: He was a famous psychologist. Freud believed that real knowledge came from careful observation. He thought you had to analyze things logically. He didn't think intuition was a way to gain true knowledge.

• Carl Jung: Another important psychologist was Carl Jung. He saw intuition as a way of "perceiving through the unconscious mind." This means your mind picks up clues without you even realizing it. Jung said intuition uses your senses as a starting point. Then it brings up ideas or solutions from deep inside your mind. He called intuition an "irrational function." This just means it doesn't follow step-by-step logic.

Jung described people who were very intuitive. He called them "intuitive types."

• An extraverted intuitive person loves new possibilities. They might be like entrepreneurs who start new businesses. They often move on to new ideas quickly.
• An introverted intuitive person explores ideas from their inner world. They might be like mystics or prophets. They focus on understanding the deeper meaning of things.

Modern Psychology and Intuition

Today, psychologists see intuition as a way to find solutions to problems. It also helps with making decisions.

• Quick Decisions: The "recognition-primed decision" (RPD) model explains this. Experts, like firefighters, can make fast decisions. They use their past experiences to recognize similar situations. Then they quickly choose a good solution. So, intuition helps them quickly find possible actions. Then they use analysis to check if those actions are good.

• Instinct vs. Intuition: People often confuse instinct with intuition. Instincts are automatic behaviors. Intuition relies on your past knowledge and experiences. For example, a teacher with lots of experience might have good intuition about what a child needs. But even experts can sometimes be wrong.

• Yale University Study: In the 1970s, researchers at Yale studied intuition. They found that some people made decisions very quickly. They couldn't explain why they made those choices. But their decisions were just as accurate as those who thought things through slowly.

• Daniel Kahneman's View: Daniel Kahneman talks about two systems for thinking.

* System 1 is fast and automatic. This is where intuition comes from. * System 2 is slower and more thoughtful. Kahneman believes people often trust System 1 too much. This can make them overly confident about things they don't truly know. Intuition can sometimes lead to "cognitive illusions." These are assumptions we trust without really thinking.

• Gerd Gigerenzer's View: Gerd Gigerenzer describes intuition as thoughts without typical logic. He says it uses "rules of thumb" and "evolved brain abilities." These work together to give us thoughts we don't actively think about. He also suggests that too much information can make people overthink. Sometimes, intuition might even go against what we already know.

• Intuition as a Starting Point: Intuition often comes before logical thinking. It gives us a quick feeling or judgment. Then, we might use logical thinking to support or explain that initial feeling. We often feel very confident in these quick, intuitive judgments.

Intuition in Philosophy

Philosophers from both Eastern and Western cultures have thought a lot about intuition.

Eastern Philosophy

In Eastern philosophy, intuition is often linked with religion and spirituality.

• Hinduism:

* Sri Aurobindo believed intuition was "knowledge by identity." He thought our minds usually understand the world through our senses. But he also believed we have a deeper way of knowing. This deeper way is like self-awareness. He thought ancient humans used this intuitive knowledge more. Later, reason became more important. * Osho thought human consciousness grows from instincts to intelligence, then to intuition. He suggested that living in a state of intuition is a high goal for people. * Advaita Vedanta (a Hindu school of thought) sees intuition as a way to connect with a higher reality called Brahman.

• Buddhism: Buddhism sees intuition as a way the mind gains immediate knowledge. It's beyond conscious thinking. In Zen Buddhism, practices like koans (riddles) help develop intuition. Solving them can lead to small moments of enlightenment.

Western Philosophy

In the West, intuition is discussed within many philosophical ideas.

• Ancient Philosophy:

* Plato (an ancient Greek philosopher) saw intuition as a basic human ability. He thought it helped us understand the true nature of reality. He also believed intuition was about remembering knowledge already in our "soul of eternity." He used math as an example. He said we don't learn math truths just by reason. Instead, we access them using knowledge already inside us.

• Islam: In Islam, intuition (called hadas) is sometimes linked to prophecy.

* Siháb al Din-al Suhrawadi believed intuition was knowledge gained through "illumination." This means it's a mystical kind of understanding. * Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) also saw intuition as a "prophetic capacity." He described it as knowledge gained without trying to learn it. He thought regular knowledge is based on copying, but intuitive knowledge is based on deep certainty.

• Early Modern Philosophy:

* René Descartes defined intuition as knowledge gained through clear thinking. He said, "whatever I clearly and distinctly perceive to be true is true." He believed intuition and deduction (a chain of intuitions) were the only ways humans could gain knowledge. * David Hume had a more complex view. He said intuition was recognizing relationships, like time or cause and effect. He thought this recognition "strikes the eye" or, more accurately, "in the mind."

• Immanuel Kant: Kant's idea of intuition was different. He thought it was the basic sensory information our minds receive. He believed our minds organize external intuitions (like what we see) into space. They organize internal intuitions (like memories) into time.

• Contemporary Philosophy: Modern philosophers still debate what intuition is. Some, like George Bealer, defend using intuition in philosophy. Others, like experimental philosophers, question it. They point out that intuitions can differ between cultures. Timothy Williamson argues that intuition is just a normal part of judgment. He says it's not special to philosophy.

• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic:

* Intuitionism is a view in math philosophy. It comes from Kant's idea that math knowledge comes from pure intuition. * Intuitionistic logic was created to fit this view. It doesn't always accept the "law of excluded middle." This law says something is either true or false.

Artificial Intelligence and Intuition

Researchers in artificial intelligence (AI) are trying to add intuition to computer programs. This is sometimes called the "fourth generation of AI." It can be used in many areas, like finance. For example, AlphaGo Zero is an AI that learned to play the game Go. It used neural networks and learned from scratch. It developed a kind of "intuition" for the game.

Intuition in Business Decisions

In business, leaders sometimes use intuition for important decisions. A 2022 article in the Harvard Business Review discussed trusting your "gut." It noted that many top executives use feelings and experience during crises. However, another article warned that intuition should not replace careful reasoning. Some Australian business leaders described intuition as a "gut feeling" based on experience. They found it useful for judging people, culture, and strategy.

Honors

There's a place called Intuition Peak in Antarctica. It was named to honor "the role of scientific intuition for the advancement of human knowledge."

See also