You must heard of people commonly take decisions based on gut feeling. When posed with an uncertain or pressure situation where sometimes quick decision must be made, they rely on gut feeling.
Imagine such a situation, a house is on fire and firefighters entered the house to rescue persons trapped inside. The team leader, experienced firefighter suddenly asks fellow coworkers in kitchen on first floor to evacuate immediately. Just after leaving the kitchen, the floor collapsed down. How would the team leader know, that is going to happen? Gut feeling is the answer by him.
What exactly is gut feeling?
Where does it arise- gut or brain?
What does neuroscience say about gut feeling?
What are the situations where gut feeling should be avoided?
In this blog, let’s find out the answers.
What exactly is gut feeling?
Gut feeling may be defined as thought arising instantly and instinctively when encounter with an unusual situation. This is an evolutionary reaction developed over thousands of years in humans, like flight and fight reaction in a danger situation. It may also be called as fast thinking, as compared to more logical and analytical way of thinking, which may be called as slow thinking.
Where does it arise- gut or brain?
Gut Brain Axis – There is connection between brain and gut. This is through a nerve called Vagus nerve. This nerve starts in brain and traverse neck, chest and all the way through intestines. Also, there are about 100 million neurons in the gut itself. This intricate interconnecting nervous system, can process information, respond to emotions, influence decision making, mood and behavior. That’s why you feel butterflies in stomach. Vagus nerve not only supplies gut, but also has important supply to heart, where it regulates the heart rate. Also, normal gut inhabitant bacteria (not harmful diseases causing bacteria) secrets chemicals like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, which affects brain function.
What does neuroscience say about gut feeling?
It’s not about this gut nervous system, which is behind the gut feeling but main brain structures in brain responsible are Insula, anterior singulate cortex and amygdala. When we face uncertain or high-pressure situations, there is interplay between these areas of brain which triggers the response we make. There is significant role of past experiences, similar or different, stored in our brain, in making such split-second decisions. In the example of firefighters mentioned in beginning of this blog, his past experiences in similar situations and learning of years, make him realized in that moment, that smoke is coming from area beneath the kitchen and floor could collapse anytime.
What are the situations where gut feeling should be avoided?
Gut feeling is an important part of life in professions where split second decisions to be made often, like surgeons, athletes, firefighters etc. In such situations they work most of the time. There are situations where gut feeling should be avoided. Major financial decisions, career decisions, legal matters are the situations where gut feeling is not appropriate and logical slow thinking would be more useful.
Thats about gut feeling. When was the last time you relied on gut feeling in an unusual situation?
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