There are no rules. Just follow your heart.
—Robin Williams (b.1951) American Actor, Comedian
Instinct guides the animal better than the man. In the animal it is pure, in man it is led astray by his reason and intelligence.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
I never believe facts; Canning said nothing was so fallacious as facts, except figures.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
No one is more liable to make mistakes than the man who acts only on reflection.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
But are not this struggle and even the mistakes one may make better, and do they not develop us more, than if we kept systematically away from emotions?
—Vincent van Gogh (1853–90) Dutch Painter
Instinct is the nose of the mind.
—Delphine de Girardin (1804–55) French Novelist, Author
Trust your hunches… Hunches are usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level. Warning! Do not confuse your hunches with wishful thinking. This is the road to disaster.
—Joyce Brothers (1927–2013) American Psychologist, Advice Columnist
To live is like to love—all reason is against it, and all healthy instinct for it.
—Samuel Butler
To be faithful to your instincts and the impulses that carry you in the direction of the excellence you most desire and value … surely that is to lead the noble life.
—George Edward Woodberry (1855–1930) American Literary Critic, Poet
Life is one long struggle between conclusions based on abstract ways of conceiving cases, and opposite conclusions prompted by our instinctive perception of them.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Great thoughts always come from the heart.
—Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues (1715–47) French Moralist, Essayist, Writer
Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.
—Billy Wilder (1906–2002) American Filmmaker
Man is a passion which brings a will into play, which works an intelligence.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
If you have always done it that way, it’s probably wrong.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
It is wisdom to believe the heart.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
Some of the finest moral intuitions come to quite humble people. The visiting of lofty ideas doesn’t depend on formal schooling. Think of those Galilean peasants.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
One of the reasons why so few of us ever act, instead of react, is because we are continually stifling our deepest impulses.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist
It is our business to go as we are impelled.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Literary Critic
Modern man’s besetting temptation is to sacrifice his direct perceptions and spontaneous feelings to his reasoned reflections; to prefer in all circumstances the verdict of his intellect to that of his immediate intuitions.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
The heart has reasons which reason cannot understand.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Pure logic is the ruin of the spirit.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
Nothing is impossible when we follow our inner guidance, even when its direction may threaten us by reversing our usual logic.
—Gerald Jampolsky (b.1925) American Psychiatrist
By learning to contact, listen to, and act on our intuition, we can directly connect to the higher power of the universe and allow it to become our guiding force.
—Shakti Gawain (b.1948) American Author, Environmentalist
I learned…that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.
—Brenda Ueland (1891–1985) American Journalist Memoirist
Intuition is given only to him who has undergone long preparation to receive it.
—Louis Pasteur (1822–95) French Biologist
We should chiefly depend not upon that department of the soul which is most superficial and fallible (our reason), but upon that department that is deep and sure, which is instinct.
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) American Philosopher, Logician, Mathematician
Just be what you are and speak from your guts and heart—it’s all a man has.
—Hubert Humphrey (1911–78) American Head of State, Politician
The thinker philosophizes as the lover loves. Even were the consequences not only useless but harmful, he must obey his impulse.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Nothing reaches the intellect before making its appearance in the senses.
—Latin Proverb