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> Logic Versus Intuition, Which is more important in an emergency?
 
Which SciFi character do you think would perform more effectively when faced with a sudden, unexpected, life-threatening emergency?
The hyper-logical Mr. Spock [ 2 ]  [13.33%]
The highly impetuous Han Solo [ 13 ]  [86.67%]
Total Votes: 15
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Swanny 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 04:16 AM
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In another thread in The Grove, Raven wrote
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On another prophetic note. I used to ignore my gut on issues where all of the visable evidence would contradict what my gut feeling was. I have found this to be a bad idea as my gut is right almost 100% of the time. I often wonder if I am subconsciously picking up on aspects of any given situation that are not quite so obvious and that is why my gut is so acurate.


There is actually a fair amount known about intuition, as a result of research on strokes and seizures. I'll try to nutshell what I've learned of the topic, but even the "short course" makes for a long post. You might want to fill your coffee or tea-cup or grab a fresh ale before "professor Swanny" begins. beer.gif (Belch!!!)

Viewed from above, as in this CT image, the human brain has two hemispheres, a left, and a right.

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The two hemispheres are connected by a pathway of nervous tissue called the corpus collosum. Think of it as a sort of SCSI cable or network connection between two incredibly fast and immensely powerful computer processors, each running different programs from the same input.

The left hemisphere of the brain is the logical side, and specializes in serial processing. It is the seat of logic, is detail oriented, controls words and language, determines present from past, perceives order or patterns, and so forth. To solve a problem, the left hemisphere relies on a step by step, A + B + C = D approach. It's a very accurate way of processing information and reaching a conclusion, but like my darned lap-top, it is SLOW.

The right hemisphere uses feeling, is "big picture" oriented where imagination rules. The right hemisphere recognizes symbols and images, perceives present and future, philosophy & religion, is the seat of spatial perception, and so forth. To solve a problem the right side doesn't mess around. It simply processes all the available information at once and jumps straight from A to D. It isn't always accurate, but it is incredibly fast. Experts who study this stuff believe that the right hemisphere perceives subtle sensory clues that are missed or can't be processed by the left hemisphere and through incredibly fast parallel processing creates the feeling of intuition, which we sometimes refer to as a "gut feeling".

In daily life we use both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously and constantly (unless we've had a stroke, traumatic brain damage or other neurological disorders). BTW, although we would think that musicians are strongly right-hemisphere dominant that's actually not true. Musical performance is very mathematical, and a truly stirring performance can only occur when the performer uses both the mathematical left hemisphere and the creative right hemisphere equally.

When we perceive an immediate threat to our lives, our bodies release a strong hormone called adrenaline (epinephrine). Adrenaline causes a lot of the physical responses we recognize as a "flight or fight" response, including fast heart rate, elevated blood pressure, improved vision (pupils dilate), and the perception of everything happening in slow motion (time distortion). Adrenaline shuts down communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain almost entirely, resulting in the person becoming an almost completely right-brain thinker.
This effect lasts anywhere from 30 seconds to three or more minutes.

In a life-threatening emergency, strongly left-hemisphere dominate people take so much time just to figure out what's happening that they end up victims before they can take any action at all, while strongly right-brain dominate people act almost immediately, but sometimes take actions that would be ill-advised.

Okay, I'll admit it's a long and probably boring explanation. There isn't much going on at work tonight and this seemed as good a way to pass the time as any. In any event, in this poll, my vote has to go to the right-brain dominance of Han Solo.

Swanny


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Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 08:51 AM
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I agree with Swanny's conclusion, albeit for somewhat different reasoning. In an emergency, you don't have time to think things through, so need to act on intuition. Logic suggests to me that the more world experience you have with a particular situation, the better results you are going to have when you go with your gut (intuitive) feeling. That's why pilots and astronauts use simulator training to learn how to deal with potential disaster situations in an intuitive manner.
On a more mundane level, that is why I sometimes test the limits of any vehicle I operate, whether 2 or 4 wheel, motorized or not--I want to know what I can do in an emergency and I want it to be intuitive. There have been many times when commuting to work on my bicycle or simply out for a ride when the instincts developed as a Cat-4 USCF-licensed bicycle racer have come into play in avoiding a collision with a much heavier vehicle operated by someone who appeared not to have seen me.


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Shadows 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 08:52 AM
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I do not think the two can be separated!!! Intuition is usually based on past logical choices or experiences. Gut feelings are 99.9% of the time right, but logic also has the same track record. The human mind is complex, there are parts of it that I feel hold the collective knowledge of our ancestors, this is displayed in "gut feelings"; then there is the logic of it all, that also comes from the collection of knowledge. either way they are one and the same.


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maisky 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 09:29 AM
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Training in how to deal with emergencies is a major part of "survival" training. You study and practice until your trained responses kick in before you even think.

I have trained to respond to emergencies in several areas

1. as an EMT (emegency medical technician). You do the correct, life saving actions even when in a totally chaotic scene.\

2. as an Emergency Response Site Coordinator (Hazardous Materials)

3. Driving on Ice. This is how I first learned how to drive. I practiced skids until I don't even think about my response. I just do it correctly to get the car back under control. Driving on ice is more though about. It is like "tiptoeing" along. You don't even THINK about using the breaks.


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Raven 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 10:35 AM
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QUOTE (Shadows @ Dec 24 2003, 09:52 AM)
I do not think the two can be separated!!! Intuition is usually based on past logical choices or experiences. Gut feelings are 99.9% of the time right, but logic also has the same track record. The human mind is complex, there are parts of it that I feel hold the collective knowledge of our ancestors, this is displayed in "gut feelings"; then there is the logic of it all, that also comes from the collection of knowledge. either way they are one and the same.

Thank you Swanny for posting this,

Being a logical human being (at least I prefer to think that I am tongue.gif ) I like to know that I do things for a reason.

This actually validates a lot about who I am. I always thought growing up that I lacked creativity and musical ability. I took guitar lessons and never learned how to play guitar. I never could draw accurately without the use of drafting tools. I played sports and did well with them up through high school. I went to college intending to be an engineer and graduated in 1983 with not a lot of jobs readily available in my field (which would have been Industrial Engineering). I seem to have a natural talent in this area as well.

I ended up driving tractor trailers cross country for 14 years right out of college. I racked up over 1.5 million accident free miles in which time I was confronted on many occaisions with do something now or it's all over. I never had the benefit of any special training yet in spite of that when ever I have ever had to react in a vehicle (aside from some drunken misadventures as a youth) I have always done the right thing without thinking about it. If I had stopped to think about it that would have been the wrong thing.

I did finally learn to play guitar and actually became a successful songwriter with a working band, but I was 32 before I learned how to play an instrument. Live performance also depends on the intuition factor with reactions that need to be instantaneous or you look stupid (less on the line than with the trucks but small emergencies non the less) We try to be prepared by constant rehearsal (we rehearse the band every single week in addition to playing between 100 & 150 shows every year) so we have serious training to deal with things that happen live. That however does not explain how everyone can have the feeling that one person is going to do something out of the norm and be right there for them. We call this being tight and it is absolutely amazing what often happens, defying logic for what should have been a train wreck. (I think the constant rehearsal helps us to remain calm during these times as much as anything) It's not even an adrenaline factor it's just like we all know what is going to happen a few beats before it does.

(you thought that you wrote a long one Swanny wink.gif )


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andylucy 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 10:45 AM
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Like one of my firefighting instructors said, "Train hard, fight easy." (I think he stole this from the Royal Marines wink.gif ) If you can train your body and mind to react to situations through constant drilling, you have a sort of "muscle memory" working for you.

This approach, however, implies a level of logic behind the intuition. As an EMT, I learned fast that you can't prepare for every contingency. All you can do is trust your gut to tell you what to do. When you are working a schoolbus vs. semi tractor MVA, you don't have time to logically decide what to do. You just respond. It is based on your training, yes, but there is no time to think. Lives are lost in a matter of seconds. It's just automatic- the 3 T's: Triage, Treat, Transport. No thinking, just reacting.

As for me, give me Han Solo on a mass-casualty scene. Give me Mr. Spock in the hospital. biggrin.gif

Just my tuppence.

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tartangal 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 12:25 PM
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Twice I have ignored a strong intuition that something was wrong.Each time I was wrong to ignore it.
I was followed off a bus and chased by a man one time. When sitting on the bus I had a strong feeling that I was being watched but put it down to an overactive imagination. Even so' i was so unsettled that I waited until the last possible minute before standing to get off.When a man got up after me , I was frightened. Stepping off the bus we went in different directions and I felt foolish and a bit of a drama queen.After the bus pulled away the man turned and followed.Luckily, passersby intervened and frightened the man off.
The other time I was sitting with a patient who was waiting to be transferred to a psychiatric unit. Again I had a strong sense of forboding but assumed that again I was being overly dramatic because of my relative inexperience in nursing this kind of patient. I was assaulted by him but I think that if I had taken heed then neither of these incidents would have happened.


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Aon_Daonna 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 12:41 PM
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I can only talk of my long experience in Kendo and Judo.. training in this sort of took over my intuition, I first assess a situation and then act like I think I have to...


About who of the two would be more successful.. I don't know, it depends on the situation and what logic and intuition tell you to do..


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MDF3530 
Posted on 24-Dec-2003, 02:05 PM
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I chose Han Solo. I've learned to trust my instincts.


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maisky 
Posted on 26-Dec-2003, 06:53 AM
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QUOTE (MDF3530 @ Dec 24 2003, 03:05 PM)
I chose Han Solo. I've learned to trust my instincts.

A 357 in your pocket might help, too. tongue.gif
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Fiddler 
Posted on 26-Dec-2003, 07:46 AM
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The logical explanations you all have given to this question seem apropriate to me. Situations I have encountered as a firefighter have taught me that I cannot plan for everything but constant training seems to sharpen my instincts so I can react favorably to situations I have not trained for. fireman2.gif


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silverdragon 
Posted on 26-Dec-2003, 07:15 PM
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In a sudden life-threatening emergency there isn't time to think. (At least, not for me.) But my intuition can pick up bits of skills here and there and cobble something together. Example: I once learned to fly (received my private pilot's license.) While I've been grounded several years, the training seems to have made me skid-proof in an automobile -- and you wouldn't think the conditioned reflexes would transfer.


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Swanny 
Posted on 27-Dec-2003, 05:47 AM
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Apparently there is a direct neural between the right-brain and seat of the pants, eh Silverdragon? IFR (I follow roads, rivers and rails)



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Raven 
Posted on 27-Dec-2003, 01:01 PM
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Just a note in reference to the original qoute that Swanny posted with the most excellant scientific treatise wink.gif

The focus has been more on reaction in a spur of the moment/do or die type situation. What about when all of your senses and logic based on the available evidence tell you everything is okay to proceed but your stomach continues to roll as if the whole idea (whatever that may be) is bad.

Do you follow your gut or your brain?

Also why is it that it never works in reverse for me. All of my logical thought is saying don't go but my stomach is acting all happy and telling me to forget the logic and just go for it tongue.gif

On a more scientific note. If you are traveling at the speed of light and turn on your headlights does anything happen?
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Swanny 
Posted on 29-Dec-2003, 02:59 AM
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QUOTE
What about when all of your senses and logic based on the available evidence tell you everything is okay to proceed but your stomach continues to roll as if the whole idea (whatever that may be) is bad.


Trust your gut. The "gut feeling" (intuition) is a result of dissonance, the conflict between what the left brain is able to reckon and the right brain is able to conclude. Most of the time both halves of the brain come to the same conclusion albeit through different processes. When they don't agree is when we get that really bad feeling that something isn't right. Essentally, the feeling is a result of the right brain processing information that the left brain is either unable to recognize or is unable to process.

Generally if I logically deduce that the situation is bad I don't get that "gut feeling", because both sides of the brain agree that things are not good. Basically if it looks bad, it is bad and if it feels bad, it is bad. If it looks benign and feels benign, everything is probably under control (or you've badly overlooked something).

QUOTE
On a more scientific note. If you are traveling at the speed of light and turn on your headlights does anything happen?


Yeah. You use more electricity.

Swanny

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