Instinct vs intuition: what’s the different between the two?
I’m not an expert nor am I a therapist but in this post I share my understanding of this topic based on my own experiences. I am a survivor of childhood trauma and abuse. My growing years were filled with arguments and violence between my parents, with me as a witness. I learned to walk carefully on eggshells for nearly two decades of my life. My senses of the environment surrounding me became exceptionally sharp because of this experience, especially when it goes into survival mode.
What exactly is instinct vs intuition?
I’ve learned that instincts are innate—belonging to you alone from birth. When you feel your gut is pulling you or a queasy sense begins, that’s your fears warning you of possible dangers. Another way to know is when you’re uncomfortable with your surroundings or with people.
That’s why its good to make friends with your fears because they are never wrong. But fear can also be learned behaviors passed down from generations before, unconsciously or even by actions in the external environment.
The best way to understand your instincts is to know yourself. What you like or dislike. What you enjoy doing. In this way when you do feel uncomfortable, you’ll know somethings up and won’t miss the warning signs. It take time to understand what’s going on and whether your fears are yours alone or passed down to you. But you’ll figure it out with time and experience.
“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.” ~ Rumi
Intuition is developed from your past experiences—an inner knowing from memories, patterns and cues in the external environment, that silent whisper like an echo of energy from within. Yup! It’s that simple. But often we ignore it. What you feel is more than words. As a child, I often confuse this, thinking its just my imagination. I’ve learned to listen and trust my intuition to lead me when I doubt even my own thoughts. It’ll guide you into the unknown. But the way to earn this trust for me, was to accept my failures, rejections and disappointments for what they are. Signs urging me to take note that the frequency was changing. I know, it sounds really out there. But my intuition has led me here, sharing this story with you.
Conformity is Staying the Same
If we are born with natural innate instincts, how do we then develop skills to become intuitive?
The world around us is constantly changing, yet many choose to stay put afraid to move with it. And like everyone else, we follow the person in front or next to us because we think they know what they’re doing. When I was younger, I often doubted myself so I follow the crowd. And when the truth presented itself, I realized I should’ve followed my gut to go a different way. How do you know the way you choose is the right path?
You don’t! But when you make your choice, you also learn to accept the consequences that comes with it. Good or bad, be open to what the universe is showing you.
For seventeen years of my life since childhood, I’ve been physically and emotionally abused in my home. I walked on eggshells unconsciously absorbing the energy and processing patterns and cues to keep safe. Learning to connect my sense of fear and danger even when I can’t see the signs is a skill learned from failure to comprehend what the external environment make you feel inside. I survived and healed from this trauma and maintained my heightened senses as an inner guide, my intuition.
Now, for the crucial question. Can I trust what I’m feeling though? Yes.
Sensing the Energy from a Room
When you walk into a room, can you instantly feel the energy in the atmosphere? Every unspoken word crawling into your skin. Every eye contact, or movement lets you know what’s happening. You feel uneasy yet you can’t explain why your system is in chaos mode.
Every time I walk into a job interview, I’ve felt this strain. Until I’m comfortable with my surroundings, then I accepted a job offer. Every family gathering feels uncomfortable, especially from past comparison or critiques of my weight, clothing or even exam results. I was the one whom everyone saw as not smart enough to be successful. Arguments with my parents, their actions and exchange of words constantly repeating changes my perspective. You don’t need words to explain what you feel, you can sense the emotion inside you instantly. Use it to lead you on.
You Just Know Things – A Strong Gut Pull
Many times, at work, I can sense something is going to happen in certain situations. For example, I enter the office thinking of a client and next moment they call me.
I’ve met new clients and while they don’t speak their mind with what services they require from our business, I felt it through my inner knowing i.e., my experiences dealing with other regular clients. And this helps me prepare to ensure, I do what’s best for my clients.
Your inner knowing is not logical, it’s what you feel within you. Being able to sense various situations helps you discover your next plan of action. Trust your inner guide!
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