A gut feeling. A sixth sense. A hunch. All of us have moments when we know something deep in our bones without understanding why. It might be a thunderbolt clap of insight or a persistent inner nagging you can't quite shake. I just swiped right on my future spouse, or I have a bad feeling about this new job. That's your intuition working, says Judith Orloff, MD, a clinical staff member at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the author of The Genius of Empathy. "It's a still, small voice inside us that tells us the truth about things. We all have one-you just have to learn to listen to yours," she says. While it may seem a bit woo-woo, intuition has become a serious area of study for researchers who want to learn the whys and hows of harnessing our hunches.
Cognitive scientists, who study how human beings think and reason, generally define intuition as knowledge gained without rational thought, and they believe it's a natural part of how our brains work. Humans have two main ways of absorbing information. One is a slow, deliberate process, in which we methodically analyze details for instance, comparing two laptop models before buying. The second happens almost instantly, and the insight feels like it came out of the blue. In fact, though, it's based on data we've gathered subconsciously over time and, in a flash, connected with our past experiences.
This latter method came in handy for humans, evolutionarily speaking. Our ancestors didn't have the luxury of dawdling through a lengthy check list to evaluate whether that rustle was a lion or a mongoose. They had to make a snap decision, and there's ample research showing the brain does that by drawing on subconsciously registered information.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2024-Ausgabe von Real Simple.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2024-Ausgabe von Real Simple.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Christmas in the Desert
This Palm Springs home may be low on snow, but it's big on holiday cheer.
Treat Yourself
These festive sweets all start with a clever store-bought shortcut, so you can stay as cool as a...log of slice-and-bake cookie dough.
Appy Holidays
Not a typo! We'll be noshing our way through the season on these partyworthy nibbles. And we wish the same for you and yours.
Gift Guide
Got a few folks who stump you every year? Who may have regifted last year's present just as soon as they could? This is for you and for them. Pretty, fun, and even fabulous stuff at any price point. Every one is a keeper.
Now Hear This
If closed captions have become your best friend and it sounds like everyone around you is mumbling, we've got the latest feedback on why you're having hearing trouble-and what you can do about it.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
...is, actually, all the time! Whether you're looking to venture into the wintry world, stop to smell spring flowers, soak up the summer's warmth, or swim in fall's colors, these are the places that deliver.
A NO-STRESS GUIDE TO GIFT GIVING & RECEIVING
It's the thought that counts, right? Right?!
5 FINANCIAL MOVES TO MAKE BEFORE 2025
Don't drop the ball ahead of the ball drop!
NOT-SO-TALL TAILS
Three of the sweetest doggo adoption stories you ever did read
ELIMINATE PET HAIR
It's time to reclaim your sofas, carpets, and black pants.