Common sense is INSTINCT, and enough of it is genius.

I recently heard an interesting sermon about Instinct, (the youtube links are below)

http://youtu.be/flJQ5L_782w (Part-1)

http://youtu.be/nK6_LSVNpYE (part-2)

http://youtu.be/RBGDy1te-so (Part -3)

As William Butler summarized it neatly here,                                          In his book entitled, b l i n k , Malcolm Gladwell, refers to ‘rapid cognition’… the first two seconds in which your mind jumps to a conclusion. In the book, Malcolm describes what he calls ‘adaptive unconsciousness’, a skill that can be learned that allows you connect, within those split seconds, many little pieces of information.

Here are 7 ways to IMPROVE your INSTINCTS:

1. ALLOW DIFFICULTIES to DISCIPLINE you. LEARN all you can from LIFE’s LETDOWNS so you’ll know how to RISE RESILIENTLY.
2. BE ACUTELY AWARE. Paying VERY CLOSE ATTENTION is much different than simply noticing.
3. INVOKE IMAGINATION. I believe that everything in the world has a HIDDEN CONNECTION. Using an exercise that I invented, I teach others HOW to use their imagination to uncover the INVISIBLE connection of two or more seemingly unrelated, random ideas… such as
   PUPPETS and RUBBER TIRES… or MONKEY BARS and BLUE JEANS. It is amazing what hidden patterns you find once you begin the process.
4. OBSERVE OTHERS. The immediate BENEFIT of this is the ABILITY to LEARN without making the same mistakes. Observing others allows you to detect psychological patterns, such as vices and vulnerabilities. LEAN in and LISTEN and LEARN those LIFE LESSONS.
5. OUT-OF-ORDINARY. Stretch yourself to GROW as you do and EXPERIENCE things that are not in your regular routine. Select something that you’ve had on your “some day” list and go out and experience it. Pay close attention to the experience as it occurs. What are the circumstances? What are your feelings? What are you learning?
6. READ RELIGIOUSLY. OPEN yourself to entirely new worlds. Regular reading allows you to vicariously experience everything from the author’s viewpoints and learn from them. Most impart at least a hand full of life lessons. REMEMBER: An UNREAD book CANNOT help you.
7. SILENT SPECULATION. It is important to finding a quiet place to reflect upon how your experiences inform and shape your inner life. It is here you answer such questions as… “What am I sensing?” and … “What is my inner voice telling me?”

I believe the above seven points helps us to differentiate the good instinct from bad instinct.

Human beings want to be free and however long they may agree to stay locked up, to stay oppressed, there will come a time when they say 'That's it.' Suddenly they find themselves doing something that they never would have thought they would be doing, simply because of the human instinct that makes them turn their face towards freedom. ~Aung San Suu Kyi