6 The Amazing Associative Machine
‘I don’t know if I actually said Eureka, but that Eureka moment really did happen……I suddenly realised that there was a door in front of me that I didn’t even know existed that had suddenly swung open’ Sir Alec Jeffries on DNA-based identification The unconscious intuitive, ‘Visionary’, mind is at its most magical when it... Continue reading→
5 So, Can You Trust Your Gut?
‘Were there things we should have done differently? Unquestionably. But, you know, I would struggle to itemise them all before you now in a hierarchy, I’m afraid.’ Boris Johnson at the Covid Inquiry, 6 December 2023 As we saw in the first article of this series on decision-making, many problems require a classical approach: that... Continue reading→
Looking Ahead
I’ve been asked to set out my plans for future articles. Here are the broad topics I will be covering. Do let me know if there are others you would find useful. Introduction to the unconscious mind Magic and Misdirection – the role of the unconscious in the workplace (Article 1) President Trump - poster... Continue reading→
4 Misdirection: Why Intuition has a Bad Name
‘Jumping to conclusions is efficient if the conclusions are likely to be correct and the costs of an occasional mistake acceptable. and if the jump saves much time and effort. [It] is risky when the situation is unfamiliar, [and] the stakes are high……. These are the circumstances in which intuitive errors are probable, which may... Continue reading→
3 What is Intuition? Introducing the Visionary and the Engineer
‘Intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.’ Albert Einstein We use our intuition all the time to take complex decisions in our jobs. We need to because we seldom have access to all the facts or the time to analyse them. In my next three articles I look at how intuition works,... Continue reading→
A Reflection: The Post Office Scandal and the Power of Empathy
Victims, journalists, lawyers, and some politicians have struggled for more than 20 years to right the injustice and pain caused to sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses by the Post Office Horizon scandal. But it took a TV drama to make the Government face up and take urgent action. Why? The drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office,... Continue reading→
2 President Trump: Poster Boy for Misdirection
In this article I want to show how the behaviour and actions of ex-President Trump, both in and out of office, graphically illustrate the power of the unconscious mind to misdirect us, sometimes disastrously. Trump provides a text-book demonstration of the dark side of the unconscious mind and the havoc it can wreak - as... Continue reading→
1 Magic and Misdirection: an introduction
We believe we’re rational beings. We identify with our conscious - thinking - minds. They’re where we locate our ‘selves’. But, actually, our unconscious minds – our intuitions and emotions - are in charge. The psychologist, Jonathan Haidt has compared the relationship between our two minds to that of an elephant and a rider. The rider – the conscious mind – thinks he is directing the elephant. But the elephant – the unconscious mind - is much stronger and more powerful. If the elephant wants to go in a different direction, the elephant will always win. Continue reading→