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GUT INSTINCT: The inborn warning system you should heed

Last updated: January 27th, 2019

Being naïve is one of the rites of childhood. Checking underneath your bed for the boogey man, camping out on Christmas Eve to get a glimpse of Santa; I wonder how long the list would be of all the things I believed when I was a kid that were only old wives’ tales told to children to keep their imaginations buzzing. It’s beautiful that children accept some of these stories as they awaken creativity and the ability to imagine. Some kids are more apt to believe tall tales than others, carrying this habit into adulthood.

My brother had to break some pretty traumatizing news to me when I was 16 years old. I was at the dinner table talking about a game the neighbourhood kids used to play when we were young, where we ran around the neighbourhood hiding and then pummelling each other with tennis balls when we caught someone. My brother started to laugh so hard that milk almost came out his nose. “Alana, do you know what the name of that game was?” he asked. I blankly responded, “The ball game?” He tried to compose himself before explaining that the game was actually called “Throw the ball at Alana.” I had spent hours over the years wondering why I was so terrible at the game—and here was my answer. My inability to distinguish fact from fallacy ensured I was the object of the neighbourhood kids’ tennis ball ammunition.

I realize that even at this point of my life I have many “aha” moments similar to the one I had the day my brother broke the ball game news. I’m inclined to put way too much trust in other people and things. I don’t look both ways before crossing the train tracks because I trust that the bell will ring and the red lights will go off before I get smoked by an oncoming railway train. If someone tells me it’s going to rain next Friday, I unquestioningly go out in clunky rain boots and a rain jacket—even if the sun is blazing and the lakes are drying up. Putting trust in others is important, but we need to also rely on our own common sense to guide us. Trusting everyone’s explanation about how the world works isn’t going to prepare us for it and will only lead to not-so-pleasant surprises in the future.

Trusting your gut is something I believe is learned only after years of following incorrect advice which lands you where other people want you to be and not necessarily where you should be. Fending for yourself and realizing that you instinctively know what’s best for you is an ability you can only acquire at your own pace. I’m still struggling with it. I’ll admit that I’m not doing so well at being any less gullible, but I am improving on following my own advice and trusting my gut instincts when something doesn’t feel right.

I’m not talking about rational versus irrational fears here. Heck, I’m psychosomatic myself and every time I hear the words “West Nile Virus” I start nervously searching for bug bites on my body that I soon diagnose as containing the virus (after I convince myself I have a fever and all the other symptoms I’ve Googled). Fear is something we should all learn to conquer, but it is also something that helps guide us out of situations we aren’t comfortable with. It’s perfectly logical to trust your gut and be wary of walking alone through a dangerous part of town at night. If you’re in a relationship with someone and start to develop an unpleasant gut feeling about them, it’s a good idea to run in the opposite direction. But if you’re afraid to shower from fear of drowning in the cascading water, you may need to seek professional guidance.

Victims of crimes often report having felt that something was wrong, but they pushed it away and landed up in trouble. Our instincts are real and a good indication of when we’re taking the wrong path. Sometimes I’ll get a small nervous pain in my stomach before an event I’m heading to and I’ll be extra cautious and aware of my surroundings while there. If something gives us a “bad feeling,” it’s better to wait until something we feel good about comes around. Holding out for something better is always worth it, as is learning to be a little less gullible and trusting our gut.

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