We are far more perceptive than we comprehend.
So perceptive in fact that we cannot understand why we have certain preferences. These decisions we cannot readily tie facts or justification to are colloquially said to be anchored in out gut. Even amidst our analytics-focused ‘moneyball’ world, a space remains for this intangible yet insightful input. I’m sure that you, like me, have had numerous instances where your gut feelings have led you to wise (or at least safe) decisions, even if you could not explain them at the time.
In “Blink,” Malcolm Gladwell explained that these hunches are really our subconscious identifying patterns in situations or behaviors based on very narrow experiences. Something he defined as thin-slicing. Solomon, in his ‘30 Precept’s of the Sages’ makes reference to the value of this practice and captures it this way:
“Don’t accept a meal from a tightwad; don’t expect anything special.
He’ll be as stingy with you as he is with himself; he’ll say, “Eat! Drink!” but won’t mean a word of it.
His miserly serving will turn your stomach when you realize the meal’s a sham.”
We know when a situation isn’t right. When something is simply too good to be true. As a result we rarely have issue with this tenant when it comes to something we aren’t passionate about. However, when we are emotionally connected to the topic, the situation, or the people involved, difficulties arise. We are suddenly unwilling to cast away what we know are falsehoods because doing so would lead us to undesirable conclusions.
We know the tightwad in the Proverb has no interest in being philanthropic. His only interest is in getting something for himself. It is easy to see through until you become involved. How many lies are you entertaining in your own life because you have become too involved and not taken a step back to critically analyze? Not with the goal being to remove grace, but to understand when you are expending it.
We have been blessed with awesome perception, both conscious and subconscious. Let us avoid tuning out the data points that don’t fit into our narrative. Discernment and wisdom beget each other in this regard.