Intuïties

Intuïties are intuitive judgments or understandings that arise without conscious, step-by-step reasoning. In Dutch usage, intuïties describe intuitive knowledge or gut feelings, often characterized as a hunch or immediate sense of what is appropriate.

In psychology, intuition is seen as fast, automatic cognition built on pattern recognition and domain-specific expertise. It can be accurate in familiar situations and when time is limited, but it is vulnerable to biases and overconfidence.

Philosophically, intuition is discussed as a form of non-inferential knowledge or immediate insight that may justify beliefs on first appearance, though many thinkers require further justification through evidence or argument.

Development and use: Intuitions tend to improve with experience. Training, reflection, and feedback help calibrate intuitive judgments, while avoiding blind reliance on first impressions.

Practical implications: In fields such as design, medicine or policing, intuïties can guide quick decisions but should be checked against data and reasoning, especially in high-stakes or unfamiliar contexts.

Critiques note that intuition is prone to biases (availability, misattribution) and errors from faulty priors. A balanced approach combines intuition with systematic analysis, evidence, and peer review.