Ask yourself Quote by Malcolm Gladwell
“Instinct is the gift of experience. The first question you have to ask yourself is, 'On what basis am I making a judgment?' ... If you have no experience, then your instincts aren't any good.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, 2013
Instincts are shaped by past experiences; without experience they lack reliability.
In simple terms: Instincts need experience to be trustworthy.
Key Takeaway
Seek experience before trusting gut.
Themes
experience
judgment
learning
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career decisions
- personal relationships
- risk assessment
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
expertise
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify your instincts?
- When should you rely on data over gut?
A Different Perspective
Instincts can be misleading even with some experience.
![“[Norden] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet.” quote by Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/565/malcolm-gladwell-348_barrels_norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bomb_62474.jpg)
