We always hear about the importance of trusting our instincts. But what about when our gut feelings are wrong? In those times, our instincts can actually lead us astray & actually cause more problems. Here are eleven reasons you shouldn’t always trust your instincts. That doesn’t mean you can’t listen to your gut sometimes—just be wary of doing it all the time.
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Past Experiences Can Skew Perception

Each choice you make based on a gut feeling is based on your past experiences. Yet not all of these give good advice. Your gut might be too cautious if you’ve been burned before and stop you from taking chances. These opportunities could open doors to incredible outcomes for you. Why ignore them?
Snap Judgments Aren’t Always Right

Our instincts love to make quick calls about people or situations we’re just getting to know. However, life isn’t a speed-dating event. Some things you instinctually think are wrong might be misunderstood. Writing off people or opportunities too quickly will make you miss out on some unique experiences.
Emotions Can Cloud Judgment

It’s easy to make a decision in the heat of the moment and then feel like, “What was I thinking?” Why does this happen? It’s all thanks to your emotions. Of course, they’re a big part of who we are but they can make our instincts go off-course. Fear might stop you from taking a risk that could pay off—excitement could blind you to the downsides of a seemingly great idea.
Overconfidence in Gut Feelings

Overconfidence in our instincts often leads to some rather questionable decisions. You have to remember that your gut isn’t infallible and sometimes, it needs a reality check. After all, you wouldn’t assume that you’re a master chef because you nailed a recipe once. Why do it with your instincts?
Instincts Can Be Misleading in Complex Situations

Our gut feelings confuse us when things get complex. Complicated situations require more thought & analysis than our instincts can handle—so relying solely on our guts can lead to mistakes. You have to think things through rationally instead of expecting your instincts to make the right call.
Cultural Bias Can Influence Instincts

Our backgrounds & cultures change us in many ways, including our instincts. What feels right or normal based on our upbringing might not apply in a different cultural context and we might make mistakes. The world’s a big place—our guts aren’t always equipped to deal with all that diversity.
Instincts May Favor Short-Term Gratification

Our instincts aren’t great at foresight. They usually focus on what feels good now, rather than what’s best in the long run, so you make choices that satisfy immediate desires. But this isn’t great for your future self! Think of it like binging on junk food—it tastes awesome at the moment yet you know you’re going to regret it.
Confirmation Bias Can Warp Instincts

Your gut tends to agree with what you already believe and this is known as confirmation bias. Unfortunately, it makes you ignore anything that doesn’t fit your preconceived notions & this can warp your instincts. You’ll start to make decisions based on a very narrow view of the situation. It’s neither helpful nor reliable.
Instincts Don’t Always Account for Change

While life changes every second, our instincts are usually stuck in the past. They might be based on how things used to be instead of how they are now which means that we make out-of-date decisions. You should base any decisions you make on the current situation & context.
Groupthink Can Influence Our Gut Feelings

“Groupthink” is when you go along with the crowd because you don’t want to be left out. It’s the desire to fit in with a group of people and it clouds our judgment, which can change how we feel instinctively. As such, your instincts may not really be your inner voice. It could be those around you talking.
The Limitations of Intuition in Novel Situations

When we’re dealing with something completely new, our instincts aren’t helpful. Why? Because we’ve never encountered that thing before so our guts simply guess what to do. In these cases, taking a step back and thinking things through is often the best course of action. You’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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