Malcolm Gladwell describes thin-slicing as the main topic of his bestselling book “Blink”. Thin-slicing is an interesting concept and the term is most frequently used in philosophical and psychological areas. What is thin-slicing? Well basically it is the capacity of people to unconsciously identify patterns in experience based on very brief times when it occurred. In other words, brief slices of experience unconsciously reveal a pattern of behavior to the observer.
Why is this important when we discuss life growth strategies? One of the concepts covered here is the idea of intuitive knowing and thin-slicing would seem to indicate that some of what we call intuition is based upon experience – even if we do not realize it.
Although it is a valuable concept thin-slicing does not fully explain intuition. Many Christians dismiss the concept of intuition as something relegated to psychics and unredeemed man. I personally think this is a simplistic response born more of fear than the leading of the Lord. Proverbs 14:12 in the Bible states: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Closer examination will reveal that this is talking about reasoning and the rational aspects of the mind and not intuition.
Intuition is a capacity that God has given to mankind for a purpose related to His plan for us. This verse from Job 38:36, “Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart”? is translated, “Who gives intuition to the heart and instinct to the mind”? in the New Living Translation. This latter translation seems to more fully reveal the gist of what is being said.
Someone once asked, “how do you know God is real?” and my response was something like, “I don’t know I just know”. In my opinion faith is intuitive. If you will open yourself to the possibility you will find that God is real.
