Should I Follow My Instincts?

Should I Follow My Instincts?

 

Van de Mark: Now, Lillian, I want to know when does one decide, it's more than a ¹⁾hunch¹, this is really something I believe in, and I'm going to take action with it?

 

Dr. Lillian Rubin: Well, it's not a when. Before you can decide that, one has to know oneself pretty well, which means that you have to have had some experience with knowing that your hunches². And it's knowing your strengths and weaknesses - really important - if you think you can do anything, you're going to fail. Every one of us has strengths and weaknesses.

 

Van de Mark: I hear two things here. One is the self-awareness, which we can get into a little bit more, but also this notion of testing: making sure that when you do act on a hunch, that you make sure that you're testing a little bits before you make big decisions.

 

Dr. Lillian Rubin: Exactly! But, and not only testing, but supposing you say, "OK, my gut³ tells me I'm gonna go on that path not this one", you take... you go half a mile down the road, know when it's a mistake. When you get to the point when you say, "Uh, I think I should turn back." Go!

 

Van de Mark: Self-awareness; this bigger, broader question. Knowing what you truly want, knowing what really fits with your life - choosing a spouse⁴, for instance, or choosing a place to live or a job or boss - what questions should you ask yourself and should you ask them all the time?

 

Dr. Lillian Rubin: Well, I think yes. When you're, when ²⁾sorting out those big issues, you'd better be asking all the time. Those self-awareness requires an ability to listen to your inner voice, and to know that you don't always do what you want to do, but that you might do what you should do. I don't mean that one should live with "shoulds", but often we want, you know, talk about getting married, people want to marry, to fall in love and marry their little ideal type. It may be exactly the wrong thing for them. And how many people do you know and I know, who, you know, on their wedding day, they said to themselves, "What are you doing?" And then went ahead and got married. 

 

Van de Mark: How many people do you know? I mean you've counseled so many, how many of them felt that way? 

 

Dr. Lillian Rubin: Many. Many. It's not uncommon⁵. It isn't just the anxiety of the moment; it's, there's been this inner voice that's been saying, "Maybe this is not right." And they don't listen because there's too much invested in that path. 

 

Van de Mark: Here are a few thoughts on going with your gut from those who have.

 

Howard Schultz: How many people have you met in your life who have said things like, "I had that idea", "I knew about that", or "I was so close but I gave up". I think sometimes the difference between success and failure, winning and losing, is a very fine line between those people who'll continue to move forward. 

 

Sumner Redstone: You can't be sure of yourself. To a large extent, you have to follow your instincts. And what are your instincts? Experience, and I'd like to think some degree of intellectual capacity, ah, and that's what instinct is. You have to be a risk-taker. 

 

Jack⁶ Welch: Getting self-confidence is at the heart of success, in every aspect of life. 

 

Paul Shaw: ³⁾In terms of the major trend what might happen over the next five years, a lot of that is intuition. But it's ⁴⁾intuition that's really ⁵⁾steeped in ⁶⁾observance, it's not just sorta waking up one day and saying, I think people are, you know, suddenly gonna do this instead of that. It's, it's really intuition and instinct because of all the different things you're sensing.

 

Marleen McDaniel: I think all ⁷⁾setbacks are to your advantage. I mean, like, just when one door closes, another door is opening. And frequently, these setbacks are planted there, and so maybe there is fate and I might even believe in it. But they are planted there. They may require you to change direction -- you may have stayed in a situation long after, it's done its usefulness, because this life really is about learning and growing, you've gotta just keep moving with that energy that's all around us all the time. 

 

成功真的要靠直觉吗？

范·德·马克：莉莲，我想知道人们会在什么时候认定某件事情不只是直觉，而是可以付诸行动的呢？

 

莉莲·鲁宾博士：什么时候并不重要。在做决定之前，你必需十分了解自己，即有必要做一些试验来了解自己的直觉是怎样的。清楚自己的长处和短处是十分重要的。如果你认为自己什么事情都能做得来，你注定会失败。我们每个人都有自己的长处和短处。

 

范·德·马克：你说到了两个要点：第一是自我认识，我们稍后再探讨；第二是试验的观念——当你要按直觉行事时，记住：在作出重大决定之前要试验清楚。

 

莉莲·鲁宾博士：不错！但是，不只要试验，倘若你说：“我感到要走那条路而不是这条”，走了一段路程后，当你发现自己选错了，你会说：“哦，我应该回头。”那么，你就不要犹豫，去做！

 

范·德·马克：自我认识是个更重要、更广泛的问题。要知道什么是你真正想要的，什么是真正适合你的：例如择偶或找新房子、新工作或新老板，你应该问自己些什么问题呢？你是否应经常性地问自己呢？

 

莉莲·鲁宾博士：我想是这样的。在做重大决定时，最好坚持多问自己问题。自我认识需要你聆听内心的声音，你要明白自己未必总是在做你想做的事情，你也许只是在做你应该做的事情。我不是说人该被“应该”两个字困着，但你知道的，我们却经常会做我们应该做的事。用婚姻举例说明：人人都想结婚，想坠入爱河然后跟理想的对象结婚。他们这么做恰好是错误的。你认识多少这样的人——我就认识很多——他们直到结婚的当天才问自己：“你在干什么？”其结果是他们还是结了婚。

 

范·德·马克：你认识多少这样的人？我的意思是你给很多人做过咨询，有多少人会有那种感觉呢？

 

莉莲·鲁宾博士：很多很多，这不是什么罕见的事。那种不是一时的婚姻焦虑感，而是你内心在告诉你“也许这个决定是错的。”但他们没有不理会，因为他们已经投入了太多的感情和时间。

 

范·德·马克：请大家听听其他将直觉付诸行动的人有何高见。

 

霍华德·舒尔茨：你一辈子认识多少人是说过“我也曾有过那种想法”、“我早知道是这样”或者“我差点就成功了，但我最终还是放弃了。”我觉得有时候，成败输赢之间只是一步之遥，只视乎你是坚持还是放弃。

 

萨姆纳·列思多：你是没办法了解自己的。很多时候你只能凭直觉下判断。那么你的直觉是什么？直觉是经验，我认为智力从某种程度上说便是直觉。你要勇于冒险。

 

杰克·韦尔奇：获得自信是你成功的关键，贯穿你的人生。

 

保尔·萧：五年后潮流有什么转变，那便要靠你的直觉做判断了。但直觉真的是要来自经验，而不是指你某天醒来突然决定不做这个而做那个。真正的直觉是来自你对不同事物的明察秋毫。

 

马琳·麦克丹尼尔：我想一切的挫折都对你有利，这就是所谓的柳暗花明又一村。这些挫折可能早已注定，也许这是命运，我相信命运。但这些早已注定的挫折是要令你改变方向，也许你停留在某种状况下实在太久，已不会前进了。生命是要不断地学习和成长，而你要随着那股动力不断前进，动力是无时不在的。

 

注释：

1) hunch [hQntF] n. 基于直觉的想法

2) sort out 挑选出

3) in terms of 根据，按照，在……方面

4) intuition [7intju5iFEn] n. 直觉

5) steep [sti:p] v. 沉浸，浸，泡

6) observance [Eb5zE:vEns] n. 惯例，仪式

7) setback⁷ [5setbAk] n. 挫折，顿挫

1 hunch   

n.预感，直觉

参考例句：

• I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉，他并不真正想去。
• I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。

2 hunches   

预感，直觉( hunch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle. 一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。
• We often test our hunches on each other. 我们经常互相检验我们的第六感觉。

3 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

4 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

5 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。