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Sometimes we have to go with what our gut tells us, even if our head is screaming different options and alternatives. When you know, you know. So what have been some times where you've had a gut feeling about someone or something and been correct?
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#1
Around 2010 I was working in Tokyo in a small office with a shelf full of random but critical IT equipment. It had been bugging me for a long time that said shelf was very poorly secured and would be a liability (in terms of physical damage and possible lost business), should a major earthquake occur. I raised the issue several times, but was told not to worry, as it would be too much disruption and hassle.
However late in 2010 I finally decided to go into the office very early one morning(to minimize disruption~ and not only rearranged the whole shelf so the heavy equipment was at the bottom, but also added some basic "earthquake proofing".
A few months later the big earthquake of March 2011 hits, and pleased to say the shelf and its equipment remained upright and intact and the business stayed operational.
Final score:
35points
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#2
On my short walk home from the university in a small German city of Karlsruhe, there was a convenient shortcut that led along a playground. I always took it, even after staying at the library until 3AM. One day while walking through there I suddenly and very urgently realized that the playground was blocked from view by a tall Neo-Gothic church on one side, a multilevel school building on the other, and a decorative hill on the third. The fourth side led into quiet residential one-way street without any businesses open at night. It was a reasonably well-lit spot that was 100% guaranteed to be deserted at night, for even the otherwise omnipresent cyclists didn’t use it because of the hill. The feeling of UNSAFE!!! hit me like a brick, and I decided not to use it after dark anymore. That very evening around 9PM a girl was robbed there after being threatened with a knife. It was a highly unusual occurrence that made it into local papers.
Final score:
29points
#3
Trusting my gut saved my life once. I was sick, having a lot of pain and running from doctor to doctor to test to scan for a week, nobody knew what was wrong and I only got worse. Then one day, I had a feeling that if I didn't go to the E.R. RIGHT NOW, I would die! So I went, I needed surgery and IV antibiotics and old transfusions, and the point where my gut feeling kicked in was, I think, the point where I was tipping into sepsis.
Final score:
26points
#4
One morning I was at work when I suddenly got the urge to call my grandma. I was debating wether I should do it because 1. I was at work 2. I did not have her new number and should have asked my father first who was also at work. In the end I decided not to disturb my father for her phone number, but the urge to call her was so overwhelming as if someone was screaming into my ears. I dismissed it somehow, and went on with the day.
She died that morning.
Final score:
24points
#5
Unfortunately, yes.
When I was in highschool I had a nagging feeling that I should go visit my grandmother at the old age home that Saturday. I had a gut feeling that if I did not go I would not have the opportunity not see her again. I figured that I was being silly and decided to hang out at home instead. Sure enough she passed away that night.
Fast forward a decade later and my father is in a hospice dying of cancer. I went to go visit him after work and had that same feeling again. I thought I should try to create a makeshift bed and stay the night. This would be the last chance to be with him. Once again I told myself I was being silly and went home to spend the night with my wife who was pregnant at the time. I got the call the next day that my dad passed in the early morning.
Now what really makes the last one sting is that when my wife and I started dating we had a long talk about our fears. I told her one my fears growing up was that my dad would pass before I had kids. He was 50 when he had me so it always seemed like a possibility. To add insult to injury when my dads cancer came back and we found out my wife was pregnant I just wanted him to fight until he would find out the sex of the baby (he always wanted a baby girl). He passed a week before we found out we were having a baby girl.
So ya. I had those gut feelings that turned out to be true.
Final score:
23points
#6
On my first tour in Iraq, I was stationed at LSA Anaconda, near Balad (north of Baghdad). We had near-daily mortar and rocket attacks, so alarms went off frequently, and we would hear/see incoming impacts quite often.
I had one day "off" a week, which I would typically use to visit the PX across post (like a small store), to pick up a few things. But mostly to relieve the boredom for a few minutes. As the PX was on the other side of post, I had to take a shuttle bus. While in the PX, if there was an attack, we were required to leave the building, as it was not considered a 'hardened structure'. We could go to bunkers nearby, but there usually wasn't enough room, so many would hang out next to the building.
This particular day, the bus was late, so I started walking back to my housing unit. Halfway there, I saw the bus coming. I thought about catching the bus, but something told me that I should just go back to my room. So I turned back around, and walked to my room, where I relaxed.
About the time the bus arrived at the PX, there was a mortar attack. As usual, everyone was kicked out to 'find shelter'.
That mortar was followed by several rockets, that landed outside the PX. Three Soldiers were killed, and twenty seven were wounded. More would have died, if not for the actions of the Soldiers and PX staff, and the staff of the medical clinic a block away
A rocket landed at the very spot where I usually would have been standing, after being kicked out of the PX. The Soldier standing where I would have been was killed - and was nearly vaporized by the explosion.
Final score:
20points
#7
My bus is always late, or misses my stop compleatly. One morning, i got a weird feeling. It was after when it was supposed to be here, but i usualy give it a few minutes. I called the school ofice, and it came back to get me. Turns out that there was a wreck that my bus could've been in if i hadn't.
Final score:
15points
#8
This often happens to me, especially with people. There have been times when I met certain people for the very first time and instantly got this gut feeling that we were gonna become close and/or work on big projects together. Sometimes it was enough to just see them from a distance. On most of these occasions, it had no logical explanation or reason but ended up being true.
Final score:
14points
#9
Proposed 68 days after we met. Coming up on 16 years.
Final score:
12points
#10
July 14th 2016. My brother and I were staying in Nice, and both of us being huge car buffs, we took a day trip to Monaco, aka supercar heaven, which is just a 20 minute train ride away. Two of his friends were also with us, but they didn't want to go to Monaco, so we agreed to meet up at Nice central station at 9pm and go watch the Bastille Day fireworks at the beach.
Fast forwards to about 8pm, my brother and I realized we needed to go back to Monaco station in order to get back to Nice time. But for some reason, both of us were like "nah, let's stay here longer." It wasn't like we wanted to see more supercars; we'd seen our fair share throughout the day, and were pretty tired from all the walking. But something seemed to tell us to just stay in Monaco a little longer. So we texted our friends and let them know we would be back around 10pm or later.
After wandering through Monaco a bit more, we ended up taking the train back to Nice past 10pm. I remember seeing the fireworks on the train and thinking, "shame, if we left earlier we would be seeing them from the beach."
Turns out, at that precise moment the Nice truck attack was taking place - I'll spare you the exact details but dozens died and hundreds were seriously injured that night. And we arrived at Nice central mere minutes later; if we had left Monaco as originally planned, me, my brother, and his two friends would have been at the beachfront as well, right in the truck's path.
Final score:
12points
#11
I was walking home from work and I took another path, not the one I used to take. A person was hit by a car that day on the road I used to take
Final score:
11points
#12
My mom was chopping vegetables and got this feeling she would cut herself. She did. Then she asked why didn't warn her. I told her she wouldn't believe me and likely blame me for jinxing her.
I'm in a LDR. I decided I wanted to make the first trip, being that it was an opportunity to take a much needed vacation, get out of the country for the first time and do something adult I had never done before on my own. Wasn't sure when I was going to afford it and was about to hold off the first in-person meet up until the following year, 2020. Something urged me to just do it for 2019 and I did manage to make the trip. Everything fell into place. So, glad I didn't wait.
Final score:
8points
#13
My cat Oslo used to wander around the village where I live all day. I'd let him out in the morning, and let him in again at dinner time. One day I saw him walk past on the opposite side the street at midday, and at that moment had an overwhelming urge to call him inside, which I brushed aside. That was the last time I saw my cat. One afternoon about a year later my my kids, then 6 and 10, asked to go out and have cycle around on their bikes. Shortly after they had left I got the same overwhelming, and very urgent urge to call them in. I went out, calling for them, but they had vanished. I walked around for about 15 minutes until eventually I found them both in a narrow alleyway. I only recognised them by their silhouettes. I got the impression they had been hiding, and I assumed it was from me calling them in too soon. Recently my daughter, now 20, told me that while they were out, she got the strange feeling that they were not safe, and that they should hide and make as little noise as possible. She didn't know why, and she had got her baby brother to be quiet by telling him it was a game of hide and seek. That was what was happening when I found them. I'm so glad I trusted my instincts but if it hadn't been what had happened to Oslo, I might have ignored it too.
Final score:
7points
#14
The first time I met my husband, to be specific, the first time I saw him I heard a voice say “that is the man you will marry.” I thought it was weird but sure enough we’ve been married 33 years and still going strong.
Final score:
5points
#15
I always have gut feelings about seeing specific people. I don’t have to meet them at all, I can see them and think in my head “I need to be friends with that person” and they’re usually the perfect compatibility. Or I’ll see someone and instantly think, stay away.
Once, in sixth grade, I had more of an unpopular friend group. One of my friends brought a new girl to us, and I instantly had a bad feeling about her. But I was kind, and pushed it away. A week later I was in quarantine, friend called me crying that she did something bad to her but wouldn’t tell me what. (Something emotional not physical)
She started hanging out with popular kids and bullying now. And I kinda knew she’d do that from the start. Just from looking at her.
I still try not to judge people from it and I’m still kind to bad feeling people, cause it’s not like this is the strongest source of everything.
Final score:
4points
#16
I lived with my twin during college and she had a job that required her to get up at 4 AM. I could sleep through a marching band but for some reason I was up, alert and anxious while she got ready. It was still dark out and I didn’t feel comfortable but I didn’t know WHY. I made her promise to call me when she got to work. She left and 5 minutes later she calls me frantic and scared.. she got stuck in a deep wash that had no warning signs, no “St. closed,” or wash ahead.. it just looked like the road. I pulled up behind her (staying out of the water) and waited while a fire truck pulled up and rescued her. Thankfully she was fine and her car recovered. Always trust your gut.
Final score:
4points
#17
I trust all 5 of the so called '6th senses' but one time wasn't getting any message, just couldn't seem to get out the door. When I finally hit the road they were just finishing clearing the wreck away.
Final score:
3points
#18
Oh for sure a few times....... but how many times have i for instance crossed over the street or turned down an alley etc and just *think* i've avoided a totally certain confrontation when really they may have been just my kinda people? I won't ever know will i? The question is loaded in favour of a wished-for answer that gut feeling is somehow the universe aligning with me.
Final score:
2points
#19
My husband and I were staying at his family’s vacation home. it was extremely hot that night and at the time we did not have air conditioning. The only place to get any relief was sleeping on the floor of the family room under the ceiling fan. Where I was laying I had a direct sight line to the back door. Around 4am I woke up to seeing a man come in the door and come at me with a crow bar. He began to beat me and I knew he would kill me. I couldn’t feel the blows though, I screamed and my husband woke up and the man was gone. I was severely shaken and put it up to a bad dream even though I truly believed I had been wide awake throughout the entire experience. The next afternoon I got a call from my parents letting me know that my aunt had been murdered that morning. She had been beaten to death by a man with a crow bar in the grocery store parking lot. I still gives me goosebumps
Final score:
2points
#20
On 22/2/2011 I was meant to start work at 1.00pm in Christchurch New Zealand but I was going to go in early to do some errands before I started and then have lunch on the steps of the cathedral near my work. As I was about to leave to I got a bad gut feeling and a little voice that said I shouldn't go in that I decided to stay at home and do what I needed to the next day. Suffice to say at 12.51pm that day a 6.2 Earthquake rocked Christchurch. Resulting in the Cathedral getting badly damaged. I'm glad I listened to the little voice as I would hate to image what could have happened.
Final score:
2points
#21
So I was in a REALLY toxic friend group that would never listen to my opinion or include me in a decision. their was a few good people but mostly I was just getting horribly depressed from it and ended up self harming but the worst part was, I was always expected by my school and by all the others to apologise for being emotionally and physically exhausted. To apologise for not dealing with their bullshit. and what do you know a few months later after our one billionth argument it ended up with me putting my foot down and suddenly the whole school was picking sides and what do you know the people I had been brushing off all the nasty vibes I got from told me to go commit suicide and I ended up in therapy which also ended in me getting skinny shamed so now I have been to a doctor been diagnosed with depression and yet still my friends expect me to fall back into the sink hole again.
Final score:
2points
Anna Snorrepot 3 years ago
The opinions of these people do not matter and the social construction they have created is fake and not important. You owe them nothing. There are normal people out here that are supportive to others from the get go and view people good as they are. Specifically people with Asperger's Syndrome don't judge other people and are tremendous loyal to others. Good luck with the depression, they really suck and they lie to you, remember depression lies to you.
#22
gut told me my wife was cheating. she was. 3 years divorced. I have the kids. totally HAPPY!!!
Final score:
0points
Calypso poet 3 years ago
A gut feeling and what you know but don't want acknowledge are different things. You get a gut feeling a snowstorm is going to be worse than predicted so you stay home. You see signs of an unfaithful spouse because of their behavior.
What do you think ?
Carol Emory 3 years ago
My mother was dating a man shortly after her and my father divorced. She had us meet him at a restaurant and I got a strange vibe off him...like I shouldn't trust him. A few weeks later, I found out he was beating the crap out of my mother on the regular. The relationship came to an end when he poured lighter fluid on her one night and threatened to set her on fire. He was arrested and released a few days later pending a court date. We moved my mother out of her apartment...he came and tried to intimidate her to stay only to have my brother in his face threatening to put him in traction if he didn't leave. As we moved the bed, we found a gun under his pillow. I'd say getting her out of there quickly was the best choice possible.
More Thinking Needed 3 years ago
Trust my gut? Every time I feel the need to go to the bathroom. Works 100% of the time.
Kylli Anttila 3 years ago
I was raised by a narcissistic mother and enabling father. The more I learnt about narcissistic parents and made sense of my hell of a childhood, the more my gut got nauseous just to have that weekly mindless chat with my mother. My gut screamed for me to cut all ties and be free for once. My ego-centric therapist went out of his way to prevent me from that, outright disapproved the idea as unnecessary, and eventually revealed that he wanted to "win" over my mother, whom he hadn't even met (apparently using me as the battlefield). I cut ties with both the therapist and my family. Best decision ever. Since then I stopped questioning my gut.
Carol Emory 3 years ago
My mother was dating a man shortly after her and my father divorced. She had us meet him at a restaurant and I got a strange vibe off him...like I shouldn't trust him. A few weeks later, I found out he was beating the crap out of my mother on the regular. The relationship came to an end when he poured lighter fluid on her one night and threatened to set her on fire. He was arrested and released a few days later pending a court date. We moved my mother out of her apartment...he came and tried to intimidate her to stay only to have my brother in his face threatening to put him in traction if he didn't leave. As we moved the bed, we found a gun under his pillow. I'd say getting her out of there quickly was the best choice possible.
More Thinking Needed 3 years ago
Trust my gut? Every time I feel the need to go to the bathroom. Works 100% of the time.
Kylli Anttila 3 years ago
I was raised by a narcissistic mother and enabling father. The more I learnt about narcissistic parents and made sense of my hell of a childhood, the more my gut got nauseous just to have that weekly mindless chat with my mother. My gut screamed for me to cut all ties and be free for once. My ego-centric therapist went out of his way to prevent me from that, outright disapproved the idea as unnecessary, and eventually revealed that he wanted to "win" over my mother, whom he hadn't even met (apparently using me as the battlefield). I cut ties with both the therapist and my family. Best decision ever. Since then I stopped questioning my gut.
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