Instinct and Reason

[talktooloose]

I have a strong instinctual life. I seem to set myself to do things, experience things, watch and listen to things, because that is what an inner voice says (often without words) that I need at the time. I follow courses of enthusiasm that are sometimes counter-intuitive and baffling to my conscious mind.

I spend a lot of time fighting these instinctual impulses and trying to nudge or strong-arm myself onto straighter courses. I employ reason, blackmail, carrots, sticks, and above all, guilt, in an effort to bring myself to heel.

I find it incredibly hard to accept that my instincts might know better than my reason what I need.

Comments

[briseur.livejournal.com]

I think instinct is often disguised reason.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Why do we disguise it, do you think?

My feeling about instincts (or my instinct about those feelings) is that they are half-formed but powerful creations that appear at intersection of many life threads. They need to be brought slowly into the conscious mind where reason can give them dimension. I say slowly, because reason can also crush them if we don't take the time to appreciate the unique properties of the inchoate blobs before we start publishing their stats.