Peace,
This blog is in response to a question asked by one of my dear sisters on the BlackWomenConnect.com site.
INSTINCT or INTUITION?
It is always sad to hear it often said by human beings that: "I should have trusted my instincts" and so on and so forth. One would hardly find anyone using the correct expression or the correct word in this regard. The word "instinct" is what we are familiar with, while the word "intuition" is hardly ever used and when used it is often derogatory and associated with the often-maligned "woman's intuiton".
It is often instructive that one hardly ever hears of woman's instinct but almost always of woman's intuition and somehow unconsciously mankind have hit on a very important concept without knowing about it. The fact that man is only familiar with the word "instinct" reveals once more our inferior way of thinking and indeed our low perceptive capacity and proves the fact that we approach virtually everything with our intellects.
Instinct is derived from the physical body, hence from the earth and the world of gross matter. It is a product of the human body and as such is really very low in the scheme of things in this Creation. Is it then surprising that men who have enslaved themselves to the intellect and chained themselves solely to earthly things would recognise only that which is derived from this earth? It is nothing but a lawful consequence of the way we have chosen to develop ourselves, recognising things that are of the earth to be of value while ignoring that which is eternal.
Instinct should not have a place at all where human beings are concerned. It is far too low and is a characteristic of the lower animals. It is actually a shame that this proves we have descended to the level of lower animals in our perceptions. It is animals who have instincts and have developed this to a high degree. Instinct characterizes creatures who have been unable to develop their higher qualities or who are not endowed with these higher qualities. It is reminiscent of the early years in our evolution when we depended almost entirely on this tool. Naturally the lower animals are like this.
With human beings, we should be able to speak only of intuition. By now through further evolution, we should only be speaking of intuition. Intuition is an integral part of the human spirit. It is a characteristic of the human being. It is often what we mistake for the instinct. Many of us know about the "gut feeling", to use a popular parlance and this is actually what it is. We simply have the wrong word for it. We label what we feel within as instinct or feeling instead of using the correct designation and call it intuition. Intuition is not instinct or feeling. As mentioned above, instinct is derived from the physical body, whereas the intuition is derived from the spirit.
It is that inner voice that often breaks through to show us the right way when we are about to make wrong decisions. Terrible suffering have often resulted whenever the intuition is ignored and not heeded. This should at least show us that it is not something to be trifled with and must always be obeyed. Care, however, must be taken to make sure that we learn how to recognise the intuition when it speaks to us. The voice of the intuition is so strong and so persistent that it leaves us with no rest until we carry out its dictates. This is indeed one way to recognise it. With practise we soon learn to fully recognise it and depend on it, knowing that through our past experiences, it is always right and can never lead us astray.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Tuesday, June 5th 2012 at 11:47AM
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