Hope and Intuition

Intuition is a fundamental part of who we are as human beings. While the mind likes to think things through, it cannot explore every possible avenue of thought. Instead, it completes an idea partially and fills in the rest based on previous understanding. This process—of intuitively completing the unknown based on what is already known—is what we call intuition. It has been the primary driving force behind human progress since the beginning of our species

Intuition plays a vital role in shaping progress, creativity, and discovery. Without it, progress would be slow and mechanical. Intuition is also the seed of logical thought: a subtle sense that something must fit, which sets the logical process into motion. At its core, intuition is a feeling—not an emotional one, but rather a cognitive feeling that propels thought forward.

One of the key aspects tied to intuition is originality. As I discussed in my article Quantification-Based Metaphysics, originality is a product of free will. However, I did not discuss how choices are presented to the individual who exercises that originality. While free will explores possible paths, it is intuition that narrows those paths down to what feels most relevant. The will of the mind guides this searchlight forward, but what ultimately drives it remains unclear. It could be argued that a basic “need” to explore is what fuels this process—suggesting that “free will” and “need” may be two core elements of consciousness. This idea, however, requires further exploration.

Intuition also helps us cope with things we do not fully understand. It simplifies the unknown by mapping it onto the known, leaving the rest as a vague but familiar sensation. This is why understanding something from another person's perspective can feel incomplete—communication is limited, and our minds interpret things in ways unique to our inner frameworks, as I discussed in earlier articles.

Thus, intuition gives us a sense of completion—a working model of reality we can function with, even if it is not fully accurate. This imprecision can lead to assumptions and beliefs that aren’t necessarily true. One important product of this is hope. When someone thinks about tomorrow, they assume it will come, and that it will resemble today. This is an intuitive leap. Logic might insist that the future is unpredictable, yet intuition filters the unknown into something manageable, leading to the feeling that everything will be okay. That’s hope.

This happens because, as long as one is alive, the mind will try to focus on the positive—even during life’s most difficult moments. When things are going well, people tend to believe the good will continue. But when things go badly, one might feel that intuition has failed and instead turn to logic. Ironically, logic’s confrontation with unpredictability can itself give rise to a new kind of intuition—one that whispers that things might improve. In this way, the mind attempts to maintain a sense of direction and purpose, driven by an underlying desire to feel okay.

This is how intuition gives rise to hope. While hope is also rooted in the instinct to survive in harsh conditions, I’ve chosen to focus here on how that instinct leads to rationalization. The belief that “everything will work out” is often what motivates action and belief. When a person doesn’t fully understand something, they may cling to what they do understand, rationalizing their beliefs with intuition. Yet this can become dangerous. What we don’t understand—if dismissed or misrepresented—can sometimes lead to harmful consequences.

Therefore, while intuition is indispensable, it must be balanced with logic. Too much reliance on intuition can lead to misleading rationalizations; too much logic can lead to paralysis and detachment. It is in the dynamic interplay between the two that meaningful thought—and responsible action—can emerge.