The idea of a woman intuitively (or instinctively) knowing the right choice has been around for millennia. You (or someone you know) may be right on there, but don’t feel bad if womanly instinct didn’t magically appear for you…
…because the truth is, every person’s journey is unique.
Women’s natural instincts
A woman’s instinct never fails (or does it?).
We see a woman’s natural instincts exemplified in caring for and protecting her family. She instinctively knows what to do (or so we are told) –– she has this maternal instinct –– like a lioness with her cubs. We are so often told that the woman instinct never fails.
This may be true for some. But in many ways I know for some women (including myself) this paradigm causes them to feel inept as this woman instinct thingy they’re magically meant to have eludes them.
There are many reasons for this. There is also debate as to whether it exists or not.
Helena Rutherford, a researcher at the Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center, tells us if it does exist, it’s likely influenced by an assortment of factors, including the support a woman receives in parenting, her upbringing, caregiving experience, and the ease or difficulty of her pregnancy and childbirth experiences.
But that’s really about maternal instinct, whereas this article is about a woman knowing from her intuition.
Woman’s instinct vs intuition
The terms ‘instinct’ and ‘intuition’ are commonly used interchangeably, meaning the same thing (see common myths debunked). And often on the internet when people talk about the notion of a woman’s instinct they are refering to intuition, as in relationships or other life goals.
I explain my take in my article: instinct vs intuition in that these two are distinct in nature.
So, in staying true to that notion, the following correlates with intuition, but at the same time maintains the understanding that people use instinct and intuition interchangeably to mean what I refer here to as intuition.
Everyday accounts of women’s intuition
Let’s look at women’s intuition when it’s an everyday phenomenon…
Following her hunch
Florence Scovel Shinn in The Game of Life gives us an account of a woman who needed a large sum of money. The woman put it out to the universe, asking what she needed to do.
Not long after, she had this thought about giving a helpful friend $100. Her friend was not convinced and told her to wait and see.
Later that day she met another who said: “I gave someone a dollar today; it was just as much for me, as it would be for you to give someone a hundred”.
She took this as a definite lead and knew she was right to give the $100 to her friend. After doing this, a large sum of money came her way. She had followed her intuition and received what she had asked for.
Intuition…simply points the way
Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life
Women’s Intuition Science Studies
Are we talking about psychic ability? Some people frame ‘intuition’ as a psychic phenomenon, a sixth sense or ESP (extrasensory perception).
I prefer not to. One reason is that the terms ‘psychic’, sixth sense or ESP conjure up paranormal or pseudoscience connotations for some. I like to think of intuition as a phenomenon with scientific basis.
Secondly, calling it ‘being psychic’ or ‘having a sixth sense’ or ESP makes people think that it’s not possible for them, that only ‘gifted’ or special people have intuition.
How I see it is that people display different levels of intuition, much like they do other human abilities. And, similarly, the more you tune in and practice it, the stronger becomes your ability. Some differences can be attributed to how much one listens and follows one’s hunches (or intuition).
This then gets back to women. Are they more gifted when it comes to intuition? Maybe they just listen and follow their intuition more.
From the science of psychology, it appears that women are better at picking up on nonverbal communication and computing certain ‘feelings’ about a situation or person as a result.
They may be matching patterns they’ve experienced from various sources in the past. This is intuitive thinking, a fast type of cognitive processing, which I cover in my article on what it means to be an intuitive person.
…women tend to be more “open” to others’ emotional messages
Ronald E Riggio PhD, Psychology Today
This may explain a woman’s ability to ‘mind-read’ or the ‘woman instinct never fails’ idea. But does it explain the women’s intuition where encounters include talking of a ‘just knowing’ or receiving messages out of the blue? Or of gut feelings in love relationships?
There must be more to this or another aspect altogether.
Yet studying intuition is unlike studying most other phenomena that are the focus of scientific investigation
Lois Isenman, Understanding Intuition: A Journey In and Out of Science, 2018
Maybe science isn’t there yet.
Inspiring stories From women On intuition
Recommended to watch is Innsæi: The Power of Intuition. Innsæi is ancient Icelandic for the ‘sea within’. Innsæi features a number of women and their intuition stories.
What’s Your women’s intuition story?
Have you an intuition story as a woman? Or do you know of one? Feel free to share.
Info sources
Psychology Today: Women’s Intuition | Zeitgeist Films: InnSaei | Inspirational Quotes About Intuition |
