I have the most intricate, interesting dreams when I’m too warm. I wake up, throwing off the covers, longing for some cool air, but thinking, “Boy, that was a good one” or “…a really weird one.” Remember the hot, muggy days we had recently, when you would sweat if you just thought about mowing the lawn? One night I could not get comfortable, sleeping with the fan blowing on me, tossing on and off covers. And I had this great dream about intuition.

In my dream, some friends of mine were looking at houses, and they had found one they really liked. They asked my advice, because I had sold real estate in my deep past. (Yes, I know, didn’t everyone?) The house was a nice one with a rather steep price. We talked about the pros and cons, and I (wisely) just asked them questions rather than spouting my opinions. (Isn’t it funny how we can be so much smarter in our dreams?) Did it have the spaces that they felt were important for each of them as well as communal space? How much fix-up would it need, and would they realistically want to do it? Would the payments be so high they would always feel strapped for cash? 

I thought they had made their decision, and we were gearing up for a celebration, but no, they had looked at another house which “felt more right” to the husband. Not one to get between a wife and her husband’s intuition, I simply asked, how have those intuition-based decisions worked out in the past?

My dream friends, Anne and Nick, were conferring in the next room. It was late, and I imagined the realtor was eager for a decision, but she showed the depth of patience engendered by the possibility of a commission.

I’ll never know what the dream couple decided unless I have another dream starring them, but at 4 a.m. in the morning, it got me thinking about how we use our intuition, perhaps when we’re not even aware of it.

I have found that when I’m buying a toaster oven or a TV, I can spend hours comparing prices, asking friends their opinions, and checking reviews on the web, putting off a decision for weeks. When buying houses or cars and even moving to a new home, I do my research, but really land on a decision because it ‘feels right,’ and I can identify the moment that happens.

Maybe all the practical questions and research are just a cover for intuition-based decisions. With many of my car purchases, it has felt a bit like giving up, because I didn’t know all the questions I should be asking, and if I wait until I’m absolutely sure, I would be carless for a long time. My intuition was jump-started by need as often my cars were not safe on the highway. Living in Ely, that made finding a replacement more complicated and a quick decision more desirable. In a way, it is giving up control when you trust your intuition, you’re letting go of the illusion that you have all the facts and perhaps trusting the answer will come from a deeper well that calculates those things differently. 

One definition of intuition is “unconscious intelligence, a non-conscious feeling that quickly motivates you to act. It doesn’t lend itself to logic, reason, or even language, but rather is holistic and concrete, formed deep in our evolutionary history.”  Said to have developed more recently in our evolution, deliberation is rather the opposite: the slow work of careful analysis and logical argument. It can be a check on too hasty intuition, but can also lead to overthinking a decision. 

I have wondered about how we make decisions in the voting booth. Do we research candidates, check out their experiences and voting record? Do their actions match their words? Do we rely on friends to make our decisions? Or do we go with our gut? How is it possible there are still ‘undecideds’ on election day?

Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman contends that “people often act without knowing why they do what they do.” He thinks that people do not choose their candidates based on issues nearly as much as is suggested in political writing. David Brooks of the New York Times says, “Many of our theories are bogus, based on the assumption that voters make cold, rational decisions about candidates. In reality, we make emotional, intuitive decisions about who we prefer and then come up with rationalizations to explain the choices that were already made below conscious awareness.” Aha! Just as I thought!

Until they have figured out their own minds, young people often just vote the way their parents did, lacking experience, knowledge, and trust in their own intuition. That’s how I cast my most embarrassing vote ever in my first presidential election. Yes, I did it, I voted for Nixon. I’ve been recanting ever since.

How we assign value to things underlies how we make sense of the world and makes decision-making possible. Some of us respond to a candidate’s intelligence, others to a friendly or sentimental personality. People may choose a candidate that they imagine they would feel comfortable with, which may lead to faulty decision-making. People often said of Bush (George W.), “He’d be a good guy to have a beer with.” My advice: go with that, have a beer, but don’t elect him to an office with serious responsibilities. 

Let’s take a local example: Harley Droba is running for the Minnesota House. He has a solid history of working for his community, serving on the city council and as mayor, and he owns several successful businesses. I happen to think he’s probably fun to have a beer with, as well, but that’s not why I’m supporting him. My gut aligns with my experience and research.

I think most voters would agree this is a very significant election, so dig deeply for your best decision-making skills. Do your research, trust your gut and VOTE.