Visceral Intuition vs. Panic
Distinguishing a calibrated gut signal — the body summarising real expertise — from panic, which is arousal from stress, fatigue or novelty wearing the costume of insight.
An everyday example
An experienced buyer's unease about a supplier turns out to be a pattern she has seen fail three times; a novice's identical unease is just the size of the number.
What it can cost you
Two opposite errors: overriding a calibrated signal because it cannot be articulated, or obeying panic because it feels like intuition.
Warning signs
- I feel certain but I have little experience in this domain.
- I feel the same dread about unrelated things today.
One thing to do
Ask two questions: have I seen this kind of situation many times with feedback? And is my body also reacting to things unrelated to the decision? Yes-and-no means trust it; anything else means slow down.
Is this happening to you right now?
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