INTUITIVE THINKING

INTUITIVE THINKING
 This is the ability to understand something instinctively
(gut, feel), without the need for conscious reasoning.

 Intuition is known as gut feeling. It comes from the

Latin word intuitio , which means knowledge from
within.

 Understanding the social environment allows the

person to develop sensitivity, awareness of the
surrounding, and pattern recognition – all of which
enable an automatic response to like events and
occurrences.
 Intuitive thinking is also affected by how one feels and
define a thing or event.

 Particular norms and value systems within a community

are considered when making decisions.

 EXAMPLE
 Among some indigenous people , their farmers would not touch
certain places in the field like anthill. When asked why they do
avoid such places, they cannot cite any pragmatic reason. It
was just intuition. Maybe they will say nuno sa punso (a
mythical dwarf-like creature), lives in those places. Soil
scientist said that such is a sound practice because anthills are
necessary to maintain physical, chemical, and biological health
of the soil.
 In dealing with everyday life issues and
situations, we are called to make immediate
decisions based on our ‘gut’ feelings and prior
knowledge and experiences. This type of
decision-making is evident in various situations;
a doctor assessing an emergency case; a teacher
determining the reason for a child’s
inattentiveness in class; a buyer examining
which vegetable to buy; and a firefighter trying
to rescue a fire victim. In these cases, one
would not hesitate or delay making decisions
because these situations need immediate action.
Inlocal terms, intuitive thinking is
associated to kutob.

Unlike intuition which is more cognitive

in nature, the notion of kutob involves
both thoughts and feelings.

Thus, we say “kinakabahan ako” or I

have this mysterious strange or
unpleasant feeling.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
OF INTUITIVE THINKING
 Intuitive
thinking is best used when a person is
immersed in his or her field of expertise.

 Intuitive thinking is learned through grounded

social interactions, which usually occur in
informal encounters. These encounters are
unstructured and take place outside classroom
setting.
On the other hand, when a person has
limited experience and knowledge in
the area where he or she needs to
make a decision, there is a tendency
to make mistakes and errors. But
when an individual is overfamiliar with
his or her own field, he or she may
end up ignoring new information that
may still be relevant to decision-
making.
 COMPARISONS BETWEEN STRATEGIC
ANALYSIS AND INTUITIVE THINKING
(Psychologist Daniel Kahneman)
ANALYTICAL INTUITIVE
• Slow thinking • Quick thinking
• Effortful • Automatic and always on
• Follows certain procedures and models • Dynamic
• Mathematical, relies on facts • Poor in statistics and probability
• Linear • Non-linear
• Detailed • Whole
• Focused and deliberate • Big picture
• Abstract • Experience-based
• Rational • Gut feel
• Usually (but not always) taught in • Usually (but not always) learned
school outside classroom setting
• Inductive • Deductive
• Future-oriented • Stored knowledge
• Pattern matching
For psychologist Jerome Bruner,
intuitive thinking and strategic
analysis are not separate cognitive
functions. Every person draws ideas
and meanings from his or her
experiences in constructing solution to
a problem.
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES
 Using your understanding about strategic analysis and intuitive
thinking, decide whether each situation requires intuitive
thinking or strategic analysis. Provide a short explanation.
( 5pts each)

1. A doctor attending to the patients in the emergency room

_______________________________________________________
2. A firefighter rescuing victims from a burning building
_______________________________________________________
3. A lawyer solving a case
_______________________________________________________
4. A mother attending to the whining of her child
________________________________________________________
CRITICAL THINKING (10 pts each)
 1. What is the difference between strategic and intuitive
thinking?

 2.How can you use intuitive thinking and strategic

analysis in dealing with your personal issues in life?

 3. Identify a particular leader in the society. Using your

knowledge about strategic analysis and intuitive
thinking, what can you say about his or her decision
making skills?