Thursday, March 11, 2010

[1826 - Francois Couperin, composer, dies at age 66]

   
[1885 - Sir Malcolm Campbell, auto racer, born in Chiselhurst, Kent, England]

   
[1890 - Vannevar Bush, computer & hypertext pioneer, born in Chelsea, Massachusetts

[1898 - Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (Guiche), actress, born in Massillon, Ohio]

   
[1926 - Reverend Ralph David Abernathy, minister, civil rights leader, born in
Linden, Alabama]

[1938 - German troops enter Austria]

[1952 - Douglas Adams, author, born in Cambridge, England]

[1965 - Market Time patrols begin off South Vietnam coast]

Intuition vs. Instinct

Today's question is: What is the difference between instinct and intuition? William suggests that the difference is captured in the precious photo sequence below.

In the first frame, the baby reacts instinctively to the breast before him, even though he is in his mother's arms and is aware that her breast is not the one he is looking at. In this instinctive behavior he is no different than any other mammal, which exhibits breast-seeking behavior from birth, even without yet having eyes open to see with.

In the second frame, the baby, aware that the breast is not the one that nurtures him, and seeing that it is but a lifeless representation of a human breast, nevertheless makes a beeline for the nipple and begins to suckle. In this behavior one surmises that the child is acting on intuition. He knows without conscious reasoning that this is not the breast that gives him sustenance, yet there is an association with the milk that may be in it that makes it worth a try. Or not.

William's Whimsical Words:

It matters not that the intuition in this case was unrewarded.

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