How the Smartest Minds Use Intuition and Emotional Intelligence to Make Better Decisions, Backed by Science

According to economist Daniel Hakneman, "Intuition is thinking that you know what you know without knowing why you know it, and high emotional intelligence can make intuitive decisions even more accurate."

For example, scanning long checkout lines at the supermarket and deciding, without thinking too hard, which is likely to be the quickest. Or listening to someone speak for a few minutes and deciding if they are smart or not.

Depending on your level of emotional intelligence, your intuition will be more accurate.

WIthout knowingly thinking about it, your unconscious brain starts working on a problem or decision. When you then try to make a conscious decision, your brain compares that decision with the one it already made.

• If your unconscious agrees with your conscious decision, your brain gives you a reward response that feels good.
• If your unconscious doesn't agree with your conscious decision, the decision seems logical but it doesn't feel right.

Intuition is when you make the right decision and your body knows it. If you make the wrong decision, your body knows it but you often can't explain why.