One question that has puzzled the greatest minds forever but which can never truly be resolved beyond doubt is that of whether the head or the heart is the best way of deciding what is right. There are arguments to justify the belief that cold, hard data should always be the basis for decision-making, just as there are counter-arguments for the importance of human intuition and gut feeling. This piece will provide insights into this eternal debate over man versus computer, hopefully casting some light on the matter.
While the majority of people would probably say that they trust facts and data over intuition in most circumstances, the chances are that most people find their gut feeling hard to ignore – it is part of what makes us human. An example of how we are not always as hard-headed as we might like to think comes with shopping. Often we will see a classy dress or shirt that we feel we need to have, even though our all the data in our heads tells us we don’t need it and probably should be spending the money on something more useful. In that situation, especially if stocks are low, many of us will be unable to resist – and that is not necessarily the wrong way, as practicality is only part of life.
If you need further evidence of the fact that our intuition can be just as valuable when it comes to making decisions that are best for us, look at Apple founder Steve Jobs. He was no data analyst or number cruncher, his innovative genius lay in being able to imagine what people would want in the future and find ways of delivering it – and he cited his gut feeling as a key to his success. Of course this needs to be combined with a willingness to comprehend data – or his company could have gone bankrupt – but it shows that intuitive leaps are crucial to innovation.
This is fine for the business world, but what about when it comes to relationships? Well, if you want to take a strictly rational approach the data suggests that our chances of finding a suitable partner are 1 in 285,000, which is not a cheery thought so should we be trusting our gut feeling or the data? A strictly data-driven approach can lead us to exclude a lot of people without meeting them on the grounds that they don’t appear be right – when compatibility can actually be better determined by getting to know another person.
Perhaps it is more sensible to find a balance, allowing data to take you so far before taking a risk on your gut feeling. Certainly the two are not as at odds as might appear, as most ‘intuitive decisions that pay off are underpinned by some analysis of the data as well. After all, you wouldn’t have bought that shirt or dress if your mental analysis told you there was no money in your account.
Thus it would seem that the most sensible approach is a combination of head and heart, examining the available hard evidence and using this to fine tune your intuitive feelings about what you should do next.