Experience and observation. Yes, experience and observation. What are they? Well, experience is that knowledge built up after periods of trial and error. It is the likelihood of something behaving in a certain way based on previous observations.
Observations are the accumulated happenings which is the foundation of our base of knowledge, or our base of experience. These are the two things we use to predict the outcome of some occurrence.
Let's say that we take a bucket of water and set it on a narrow ledge. After a moment, the bucket falls, spilling the water. We now have one observance of an occurrence. We repeat this several times, and each time, we get the same result. These observations now set the groundwork for our collective knowledge, and based on that, we can predict that if we do the same thing again, we will get the same result. This is scientific testing.
And while this method of testing is great, there are more factors that have to be brought in to accurately predict the next outcome. For instance, was the ledge too narrow to support the width of the bucket? Was the bucket not centered property? Was the water stilled when it was placed so that it would not slosh around and throw off the weight distribution? We take all these factors, add them up, but then we do something unique... we use our intuition.
Yup, we throw in an unquantifiable, unanalytical factor. We ask ourselves... Does this feel right? But while this new element may be unquantifiable, we use it heavily in our analysis. We bring it into every decision, every judgement we make.
We use this to determine if we want to associate with certain people. We use it to decide if this feels right or not. We use it to see if we want to take this job, or look elsewhere. We use it when buying a car. We use it when making big purchases. We even use it at the grocery.
And while it comes into play in small things, we use it to influence big things more. We put together all of our observations, which become part of our experience. We add other parts of our experience
to it. We add in logic, and scientific knowledge. But then we ask ourselves... Does it feel right? And based on that, we make our decision.
Isn't it amazing that while we are good enough to put together all the pluses and minuses, and look at things in an analytical, scientific manner, that we still make our decisions based on out gut feeling? I think so. Maybe that says something about our energies and intuition, and what is really important in our lives.