When and how to "trust your instincts".

[Z Gear]

I would like to replace the word "instinct" with "intuition". Although we have been accustomed to hear the word "instinct" refer to our gut feeling. It is actually "intuition" which is the correct term for this. Thanks to Nassar and especially Scargratto for helping to clarify this.

It is without saying that training, practicing skills, and following protocol are pretty much essential for safe diving. But even with this aplied knowledge or wisdom comes the need to use and "trust" our intuition. I ran across this article and thought, you could be doing all the right things but there maybe signs that something is not right. The wisdom you have gained based on all your applied knowledge, gives you the inner gut feeling or "intuition" to act or react to something that does not feel right.

Check this example out of why it is important to "trust your intuition" .I believe that is what they meant when they wrote this article.

Trust Your InstinctsDolphin Dive Center | Dolphin Dive Center
After reading this article me and my wife are really glad to have DAN.


How many of have had to ask yourselves, is this right and then rely on your intuition to guide you?


Frank G
Z GEAR - Z Gear Dive Mounts

 

[BRT]

The instincts of the guy with DCS were that he didn't have a problem! If the group is large enough someone will have a "feeling" that you shouldn't dive that day. And irregardless of the hazards someone will feel good about it. Facts are better than instincts, and people who get bent diving inside the accepted limits should be checked for a PFO and probably should dive more conservatively in the future. I'm well aware there are "undeserved" hits but looking at the profiles of most of those shows limit pushing. Some people can push far beyond the limits without problems and some can't.

 

[Nasser]

Yes for sure instinct and that intangible quality that is intuition has informed many decisions, but i think that's something that in turn becomes more and more refined and sharpened through a database of experience - intellectual and empirical to draw from.

 

[dmaziuk]

Yes for sure instinct and that intangible quality that is intuition has informed many decisions, but i think that's something that in turn becomes more and more refined and sharpened through a database of experience - intellectual and empirical to draw from.

Or if you prefer sciency techno-babble, intuition is the result of subconscious brain trying to see a familiar pattern in a given situation. Outside of the matrix the only known way to teach it patterns is by repetition: the more you practice, the better you get. If you're don't practice getting bent a lot, your intuition will likely get it wrong.

 

[Bob DBF]

Or if you prefer sciency techno-babble, intuition is the result of subconscious brain trying to see a familiar pattern in a given situation. Outside of the matrix the only known way to teach it patterns is by repetition: the more you practice, the better you get. If you're don't practice getting bent a lot, your intuition will likely get it wrong.

After getting bent once, your intuition will get a lot better. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


Bob

 

[AfterDark]

Instinct has kept me alive both in and out of the water. When that little voice says go I go, when it says no I listen and don't second guess it.
Never been bent but that's been due to looking at my my watch / depth gauge / PDC, not pushing the NDLs, or if I do to make a stop at the first deco stop for that time and depth, not instinct.

 

[Altamira]

Instinct is your brain's survival mechanism to protect itself and the rest of your body. On those very rare occasions where I have disregarded my instincts, that disregard has usually bit me in the ass.

 

[billt4sf]

I wonder what TSandM would say? :missing:

 

[scagrotto]

I'm wondering if most people actually understand what instinct means. An instinct is an innate response that's more or less the mental equivalent of reflexively blinking your eyes if somebody pokes at them. It's not a learned behavior, and it's different than intuition or a gut feeling, which are things you probably should trust (assuming you're not an idiot or a redneck). Experience and learning can help you avoid yielding to an instinct, but they won't make the instinct go away. That's one of the reasons that panic kills even the experienced.

On those very rare occasions where I have disregarded my instincts, that disregard has usually bit me in the ass.

It goes both ways. Disregarding their instincts is why some people aren't already dead. Instinct is what makes divers bolt for the surface or want to spit out their regulator if they vomit or have a choking fit. There are plenty of times in other aspects of life where following our instincts can get us into trouble.

One things that instinct has almost nothing to do with is getting bent (or staying unbent). There's no instinctive response to stay within NDL, or to cut your dive short. The only reason I said "almost" is that a fear of going deeper may be instinctive (since we didn't evolve to breathe water) and bolting to the surface may result in getting bent.

There are definitely times that we should resist our instincts, but I'm not sure we can ever listen to them. If you take the time to decide whether or not to listen you're giving it real thought, and whatever you end up doing becomes the result of a conscious decision rather than instinct

 

[Z Gear]

I'm wondering if most people actually understand what instinct means. An instinct is an innate response that's more or less the mental equivalent of reflexively blinking your eyes if somebody pokes at them. It's not a learned behavior, and it's different than intuition or a gut feeling, which are things you probably should trust (assuming you're not an idiot or a redneck). Experience and learning can help you avoid yielding to an instinct, but they won't make the instinct go away. That's one of the reasons that panic kills even the experienced.


It goes both ways disregarding their instincts is why some people aren't already dead. Instinct is what makes divers bolt for the surface or want to spit out their regulator if they vomit or have a choking fit. There are plenty of times in other aspects of life where following our instincts can get us into trouble.

One things that instinct has almost nothing to do with is getting bent (or staying unbent). There's no instinctive response to stay within NDL, or to cut your dive short. The only reason I said "almost" is that a fear of going deeper may be instinctive (since we didn't evolve to breathe water) and bolting to the surface may result in getting bent.

There are definitely times that we should resist our instincts, but I'm not sure we can ever listen to them. If you take the time to decide whether or not to listen you're giving it real thought, and whatever you end up doing becomes the result of a conscious decision rather than instinct

Good point! I should have used the phrase "trust your intuition" rather than "trust your instincts". The message I was trying to convey is that of trusting your gut feeling, which I see is clearly trusting your intuition.

I may have to clarify and edit my original post to reflect "Trusting your intuition", which would be the right choice of words for my message.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Frank G
Z GEAR - Z Gear Dive Mounts