Ep. 231: Prof. Joel Pearson - On The Science of When and How to Use Our Intuition

In this episode, I sit down with Joel Pearson, a professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia where he is a Director of the Future Minds Lab and a leader in the science of intuition and decision-making. This conversation will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about intuition.

We often hear that intuition should either be suppressed in decision-making or trusted like some kind of mystical superpower. The reality, as Joel reveals, is far more nuanced—and far more fascinating—than either of those extremes. Joel and his team have developed groundbreaking methods to measure intuition and mental imagery, offering a rare glimpse into how these elusive processes work in our brains.

Throughout the episode, he breaks down his five rules for knowing when to trust your intuition and when to ignore it. He explains how intuition is a learned skill, not an innate talent, and how it can be both a powerful tool and a dangerous trap depending on the situation. He also introduces the concept of "mis-intuition," where our gut instincts lead us astray, and shares compelling examples of when intuition works and doesn’t.

From life-or-death decisions in the military to everyday choices in business, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you practical insights on making better decisions. This episode is a must-listen if you’ve ever wondered whether to trust your gut or dismiss it.

Show notes:

Joel’s website

Joel’s book - Intuition: Unlock Your Brain's Potential to Build Real Intuition and Make Better Decisions

Future Minds Lab

Joel on LinkedIn

Joel’s Five Rules for Using Intuition

• Self-awareness: Understand your emotional state before making intuitive decisions, as anxiety or stress can cloud judgment.
• Mastery: Intuition should be based on experience and repeated exposure to a domain, like a firefighter sensing danger in a burning building.
• Impulses and Addiction: Avoid confusing cravings or compulsions with intuition.
• Low Probability Events: Intuition is often unreliable when dealing with probabilities or rare events.
• Environment: Intuition is context-specific. What works in one environment might not transfer well to another, so be cautious in unfamiliar settings.

Associative Learning (Pavlov’s Dogs) Context-Dependent Memory System 1 and System 2 Thinking (Daniel Kahneman) and Thinking Fast, and Slow by Kahneman The Monty Hall Problem The Gambler’s Fallacy

Alchemy by Rory Sutherland

Gary Klein

Box breathing

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