I do trust my instincts. I also do not like to rely upon them.
As someone who travels to dangerous and foreign parts of the world, I often find myself relying heavily upon instinct. This is true in the wild or anyplace where there is a poverty of reliable information. Consider being in a foreign and unfamiliar country where you cannot communicate. If you don’t understand what is going on it is hard to make rational decisions. This is even more true in dangerous or volatile environments. At such times instinct has served me well.
One of, if not the defining characteristics of human beings is our ability to reason. Human beings are capable of self-analysis, imagination, abstract reasoning, culture, and morality. We can gather data, create simulations, and use reason to make predictions about future events. These higher level functions separate us from the beasts – whom we often associate with instinctual behavior.
To go a step further, there is a certain degree of control that comes with the use of our intellect. When one comes to rely too fully on instinct it can lead to a feeling of disconnect and loss of control. If one engages in the act of intuiting decisions for too long, it can even lead to questions about free will. At least that has been my experience, but I digress.
As Descartes most eloquently put it: I think therefore I am. Cogito, Ergo Sum.
Live Free, Stay Wild!!
Reference:
The Wild 
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