Thursday, March 03, 2005

Heart or Head ....... or Both?

The fullness of time is here and now, and spring does not last forever. It is time to gather my energy and walk through the confusions and paradoxes, the opposing pulls and contradictory challenges, the desires and attachments, needs and programmes, and all kinds of fears and blocks and "get it on".

This means getting centred on a path that is chosen for no better reason, and no worse, than that my intuition says, "it feels right.”


Rivers, from 'Dwellings'

Another wonderful quote.

I remember once - a long time ago - in my healthcare management career a fellow manager saying

"Your trouble is you make decisions based on your heart and not your head."

Very judgemental when I think about it now!

That worried me at the time - I was much younger.

Time passed and I went through a spell of thinking "Do I really allow my heart to make most decisions?"

The answer was usually "Yes - I think my heart generally does rule my head".

As I progressed 'up the management ladder' I came to realise that there are occasions when one’s head must rule one’s heart ..... but they are the minority of occasions in my opinion.

I have to say that even now - at the grand old age of 52 - I still rely more on ‘how it feels’ rather then proving it ‘rationally’ and beyond any doubt.

I guess my conclusion is - like most things in life - there are rarely exact answers - life is a mixture of decision making processes. Some of us rely more on the heart - some of us rely more on the head.

Fascinating topic methinks - look forward to comments.

9 comments:

dylann said...

good EARLY morning! i just joined blogger about a week ago and was reading random blogs. i stumbled onto yours and now, here i am. i like what you have to say, very much. it's light-hearted and gritty all in one blog. keep on blogging! talk to you later.

-Dylann

Trevor Gay said...

A very good 'almost afternoon' from chilly England 11.50 am Thursday.

Great feedback - thanks Dylann.

I try to keep a mixture of serious and light heartedness to it.

I love blogging and have had my own 'Simpliicty' blog for six weeks or so - tell your friends.

I will have a look at your blog and give you a comment

Trevor

dylann said...

it's funny you mentioned getting a book.. my friend got me the book "He's Just Not Into You" by ... errr-- i forgot the authors. i've been reading it every single night! i'm sure men can enjoy it, too. it's almost 4:30 in the morning -- yes, i waited to his call-- i'm going to bed. have a great LUNCH!

Rocky said...

Great subject. i have recently begun to study Emotional intelligence. As I study this subject I am made to understand how imp[ortant the subject is. i think those that can effectively think with their heart are very successful people. Those that struggle with this are often quite the opposite. those that think only with their heads are often bland and boring and lack the ability to gain followers. Emotional intelligence is well worth studying.

Trevor Gay said...

Thanks for that Rocky - it is wonderful that you continue your reading - your are such a determined reader. I just know you will always succeed in what you do.

I have to say I sometimes get frustrated that academics have to put 'labels' on things that make them sound more complicated than they really are -

For instance "Emotional Intelligence" will mean nothing to my 76 year old mum!!

I often think these terms are dreamt up by people on some sort of ego trip! - just to make the simple complicated - but you would expect me to say that I am sure!

Keep rattling the cage my friend

Trevor

Anonymous said...

The metaphor used in many cultures to talk about Soul is heart. Even in English you can "say something by heart". When scientific knowledge got an independent status from the needs of the soul, as a methodical approach to knowledge, spirit came to replace soul. Now, the most current metaphor to refer to states of the soul is the mind.

If someone has nervous problems we talk about mental health when heart is probably more involved than mind in the problem.

Both are necessary, heart provides more horizon and head provides more solutions.

Trevor Gay said...

Hi Felix

I love your comment;

"heart provides more horizon and head provides more solutions."

Heart can also provide solutions methinks but I hear what you say.

Trevor

Steve Sherlock said...

Or instinct! The Malcolm Gladwell book - Blink - goes on in great detail about how your first instinct or thin slice is actually the best analysis. He goes to on to advise on how to recognize that it can be succeptable to bias but if you can acknowledge the bias, and account for the bias, then the thin slice, quick reaction, going with the heart as opposed to the long careful analysis will generally lead to a better decision.

So, where does this leave me? Trying to break away from following my head and follow my heart more. It will be a struggle but I think it will be fun!

Trevor Gay said...

Great stuff Steve - go with your instinct - yes it will take time and hard work and disipline if you are a more thoughful and relective person.

I like to try and weight up important decision with a mix of rationality and 'heart stuff' but generally I go with 'how it feels'

I agree with Gladwin and I remember reading once that many job interviews are decided in the first 30 seconds!! - I think that is probably a slight exageration - in my case it is usually about two minutes!!! ...only half joking.

Trevor