Gut Feeling Heuristic
Erikson portrays Yellows as relying on how a decision feels. The passage illustrates his color model’s account of intuition, without establishing that intuition reliably produces better decisions.
THE IDEA
FOLLOW YOUR GUT. IT WORKS EVERY TIME.
Erikson describes Yellows through the following humorous account. The study he mentions is not identified, so its methods and scope cannot be evaluated here.
If I had a dollar for every time a Yellow has explained a totally crazy decision by saying that it felt right, I could be sleeping at the Ritz. There’s a study that shows that some people make better decisions if they only go on gut feeling. Whatever you do, never mention that to your Yellow friend or you’ll never hear the end of it.
It must feel right. A Yellow can readily ignore the actual facts so long as it feels right. Don’t misunderstand this: A Yellow understands perfectly well that some people look at facts and that this is important. He’s not stupid. It’s just that he’s not interested. He wants to feel his way.
Do you want to get a Yellow to make a decision? Try to put the Excel spreadsheets aside, lean forward, and say with a broad smile, “How does this feel?”
He will understand exactly. And you’ll get an answer.
Conclusion: Just accept that a Yellow feels his way. He has a high tolerance for uncertainty and isn’t overly afraid of risks. Adapt to it. You can get through to him by showing him that you too follow your gut. No matter how wrong this might feel to you, this is the way to a Yellow’s heart. He’ll recognize himself in you. You’ll become the best of friends. The sun will shine on you.
When to use it
Examining the role of intuition in a decision made under time pressure.
Identifying what an intuitive judgment assumes when information is incomplete.
Using an intuitive idea as a starting point for creative work.
Comparing an initial impression of a job candidate with the evidence about relevant qualifications.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Yellow's Gut Decision
In Erikson’s account, a 'Yellow' may disregard data because a decision 'feels right.' He suggests asking 'How does this feel?' to open the conversation. This describes his model’s advice rather than evidence that the resulting decision will be sound.
Quick Hiring Decision
A manager hires a candidate based on a strong gut feeling during the interview, even though the candidate's resume lacks key qualifications. The decision is driven by emotion rather than systematic evaluation.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a recent decision you made based on gut feeling. How did it turn out?
How might over-reliance on intuition lead to errors in judgment?
In what situations is it better to follow your gut rather than analyze data?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Surrounded By Idiots (Thomas Erikson)