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What do you do when you have a gut feeling, pandas? Do you brush it off and hope for the best? Or immediately follow the inexplicable sensation telling you not to do something?
It can sometimes be difficult to determine what’s a gut instinct versus what’s simply nerves (or even bad leftovers). But it’s best not to ignore what your body tries to tell you. You just might end up saying “I knew it” later down the line.
Redditors have been recalling times when their instincts were spot on, so we’ve gathered some of their best stories below. From having a feeling that a partner is cheating or that it wouldn’t be wise to hitch a ride with that seemingly friendly stranger, enjoy reading all about these times when people’s intuition was on their side. And keep reading to find a conversation with writer Susanna Newsonen!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
That he was the one after a disastrous first date.
He picked me up and we went to a local walking park. After returning to his car it wouldn't start. We both had to walk home and just as I said well at least it's not raining the heavens opened, I was soaked through by the time I got home
I got back home not expecting to hear from him again but he rang me when he got home and started the conversation with "I bet you've never been that wet on a first date before" we both laughed it off and been stuck with eachother since.
michele mbennett101044@yahoo.c 5 months ago
Haha, I put a huge dent in the passenger door of his brand new truck by bumping it closed with my hip, he laughed and called me Buffalo Butt! We've been married 40 yrs!
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#2
I confronted my bf that he was cheating on me. He repeatedly said “I haven’t been with another woman since I met you.” I know, I said. I continued with the allegation. He kept insisting “no other woman since I met you.” Over and over until.
It clicked.
He stopped talking. I saw it in his eyes. He knew I knew.
We were talking about men, not women.
#3
Mine is milder than a lot on here, but when I put on some shapewear and it made my insides feel funny. I had had a tubal four years before, and my husband and I had only had sex once in the previous few months (depression on my part), so he and my sister kept telling me there was no way, especially since it had only been about three weeks since our one-off. Next morning I puked and took the damn test. My surprise caboose is 7 now, and I finally got one that looks like me, lol.
To learn more about the importance of trusting your gut, we reached out to philosopher, poet and writer, Susanna Newsonen, who was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda.
"Humans have survived in the 'wild' for hundreds of thousands of years, and that is thanks to our instincts," she shared. "It's only our modern society that has devalued the idea of gut instinct in preference for pure brain power. The reality is that you need both. The good news is that the brain and the gut are constantly communicating with each other. The bad news is that the brain doesn't always agree with the gut when it over-rationalizes situations and, as a result, the gut isn't always listened to."
#4
Suffered from chronic lower back pain for years. Went to the doctor who flippantly told me to fix my posture.
Went to a chiro who told me to come in weekly for "adjustment."
Gave up for a while.
Went to another doctor who took an x-ray and told me there wasn't anything wrong with me.
One day I went to the doctor for a hernia who had me take an MRI. Was told the MRI would be like 20 minutes, ended up being 45.
Doctor sits me down and says, "Yeah, that's a hernia all right ... but did you know that you have degenerative disc disease? The discs in your lower spine are some of the worst I've ever seen."
Blew my mind that it took like 15 years of chronic lower back pain to get diagnosed for something that went on a doctor's wall of fame.
Brenda 5 months ago
My youngest had complained about back, hip and knee pain for years,causing them to have to miss more and more school as they got older. Finally, I was able to get them in to see one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the state, thanks to a referral from one of his patients. Turns out my child has scoliosis which should have been diagnosed years before. By the time he found it, the growth plates had already closed. Now they will have problems for the rest of their life.
#5
I'm a supply chain professional. In the very early days of covid's impact here in the US, myself and many people like me saw what was happening in China and other places and knew, for certain, that there was a massive supply chain shock and crazy inflation coming.
It was extremely obvious and predictable, months before it hit full force. I kept waiting and waiting for someone in the government to talk and do something about it, but no one did. Then it happened.
Then, I heard countless outlets from the wall street journal to Bloomberg to John oliver talking about it and pointing out these factors and causes, that me and hundreds of people like me, were fluently aware of and saw coming clear as day, months ago.
That was when I really lost faith in the system, and I didn't have that much to begin with.
Powerful Katrinka 5 months ago
The very first time I heard about a mysterious disease in China, I knew that we were in big, big trouble. Then watched in disbelief as the Trump administration pretended that nothing was happening.
#6
When I woke up and read the news regarding the Brussels airport bombing in 2016, I just knew my father had to have almost got caught up in it.
My father has been awful close to being a victim of several terrorist attacks (was supposed to be at the WTC on 9/11, was in London during the subway bombings, was sitting 2 blocks away during the truck rampage in Stockholm). So when I read the news, I called him. Turns out he was on an inbound flight about to land, and they got redirected to amsterdam.
And before anyone asks - yes, I'm sure he's not secretly some terrorist mastermind!
Robert T 5 months ago
Not quite so close, but my weekly commute to work was through Brussels airport, so when I saw the news story I knew exactly where it was. It was only a few months after my contract finished. Similarly the IRA bomb in Manchester city centre was about the time I would have been walking across the bridge, except I was visiting my parents that weekend.
"This is a big shame as your gut instincts know more than the brain does," Susanna continued. "The brain has processed everything you've ever experienced, but it's your gut that's the expert in knowing how you actually felt in those situations. That's why it's so important to listen to it. It's driven by your past experiences and the feelings around them. This makes it an excellent guide in deciding whether to do something or not. In my experience, your gut instinct is very often right, especially when it comes to making decisions based on how you want to feel."
#7
Told my parents for years as a kid I didn’t like my grandmother and felt something very off about her… found out when we were older she did some pretty horrible things to my sister…
My mom still talks about how intuitive I was as a kid and she wishes she listened to my gut back then. Smh.
#8
Suspected my wife was cheating for months, then I found the plan B pill instructions on our car, I've had a vasectomy for more than 7 years.
#9
When an ex-friend got busted for sleeping with a student. I always thought it was inappropriate how she acted outside of school. She would text students on weekends using her number and not a classroom app. She claimed it was for questions about homework, projects, etc. She then invited students to come and watch her perform for a shadow cast of Rocky horror where she played Janet, so she’s in her underwear 70% of the show. Fast forward a few years after all this and I get a message with a news article of her being arrested for f*****g a student. Worst part I had friends that still supported her saying it’s not really a big deal since he was 16-17 and the she of consent is 16. She’s in a position of power and umm ewwww.
Gavin Johnson 5 months ago
In the U.K. the age of consent is irrelevant, if you are a teacher or lecturer then your students are completely off limits (quite rightly), you are in a position of power and as such you aren’t legally allowed to have a relationship of any sort with them. If you do have a relationship then you’ll be on a fast track to losing your job and a possible prosecution.
Susanna also opened up about some of her own personal experiences where trusting her intuition was the right move. "The biggest one was canceling my wedding four months before it was due to take place, as I knew the man I was about to marry wasn't the right one," she told Bored Panda.
"On the outside, I portrayed the perfect image and on the inside, my gut was shouting hell no. And it was right. Now, in hindsight, I realized I was in an emotionally abusive relationship where he constantly tried to control the narrative as well as what I did and even how I dressed," the expert explained. "Needless to say, it wasn't a healthy one. But for some reason, because I was so deep in it, I didn't see it then."
#10
Big town hockey coach on local tv always gave me the creeps for some reason. Then years later he was charged with molesting players.
"Somehow, four months before the wedding, some alarm bells of my gut feeling started to go off. I couldn't sleep, eat, or focus - and I knew something was wrong," Susanna continued. "Eventually, in a random conversation with a friend, I burst into tears and said I couldn't marry him. Finally, I was listening to what my gut was telling me. I canceled the wedding and freed myself of his demands. It was the best decision I ever made."
#11
I read the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which made me think I was on the spectrum. I brought it up with my mom who was shocked to hear that I knew. I learned I was diagnosed as a child but my parents didn’t know how to tell me.
Helen Bennett 5 months ago
Wish OP's parents could have told them. It's easier to learn how to work with something that you know about, not be puzzled and feel that you're the odd one out.
#12
Ellen Degeneres. I’ve always kinda been wary of her. She’s just always rubbed me the wrong way. I was a hater of her for a while. Turns out I was right.
John Mosley 5 months ago
Thank you for using wary properly. For some reason I've seen a lot of "weary" when they mean "wary" from the context clues. It makes me weary.
#13
These two boys from my middle school wanted to drive me around town and take me to some places. I had a weird feeling about it, so I declined. They were pushy, but I eventually blocked. A week later, a girl was sexually abused badly by the same boys.
We were also curious to know if Susanna had ever regretted refusing to listen to her instincts. "I do remember ignoring them - ironically again at a wedding scenario," she shared. "One of my best friends was getting married in Dubai but with only a few months' notice. I was living in London, UK at the time, so it was a scramble to try and get myself organized."
"Eventually, I realized I had a very important work meeting with a senior member of the company on Monday morning, and the wedding was planned for Saturday evening. With the time difference and flights available, I couldn't find a way to make it to both," Susanna continued. "Stupidly, I ignored my gut feeling to go support my best friend on this day and instead followed my brain to focus on my career path. I missed the wedding and have regretted it ever since. I left the job a year later, so it wasn't the right one for me anyways. Thankfully, my friend was super understanding and we're still very close."
#14
I had a lot of suspicions that my ex was cheating. It started out small, like she was just starting to close herself in more. I thought it was stress and depression so I gave her space and she only wanted more and more space. She never wanted to talk to me about it and any approach I made was met with hostility. One day I went to check her PC for something and noticed her login wasn't the same. For the 5 years we'd been together, it was always the same and that's what gave me the first gut feeling. I went onto my PC and tried logging into her FB to; 1.Maybe see if it would answer what's going on with her or 2.see if that password has been changed too. Turned out all her passwords were suddenly changed. I didn't wanna believe that it might be cheating so I thought I'd at least be transparent and ask her why she decided to change everything. She was shocked, angry and fumbled her answer which really made my feelings even worse.
We were quite open with each other and had an open door rule with accounts and what not as she'd been cheated on before so she wanted to know she could "make sure" I wasn't doing anything suspicious.
One day I saw she left her PC logged in as she went to take a shower. So I took the opportunity to use our original policy and see what she'd been up to. It didn't take me long to find a bunch of conversations between her and a guy she'd met playing GTA RP. When she got out of the shower and saw me sitting in her chair her face looked a bit worried. So I started by asking her "so you and Avery huh?".
My only regret is that I tried to make it work after, in an attempt to save the house. Should have told her to pack a bag and gtfo before I show everyone her explicit conversations.
#15
During the pandemic, I was diagnosed on a video call with Multiple Sclerosis. It's a tricky diagnosis to get in many cases, since it's a complex temporally and spacially oriented diagnosis. The day I finally had the badge of Dx that opened the door for aggressive treatments was truly a good day. While other doctors told me "nah, it's not MS", i was integrating risk and accumulating brain and spinal damage. And I knew it.
Turning that corner brought tears of relief, if Im being honest. Followed quickly by those of dismay, naturally. .
️️Upvote faery️ 5 months ago
I've been in too many situations with doctors, and mechanics even, where I knew what was wrong, they just needed to test for it, and I was instead given the run around that they will check other things instead, only to MUCH LATER find out that I was right from the beginning! It's very frustrating to have to fight to have a voice in one's own health care (or vehicle maintenance), when it's MY body (or car) that I live with every day and am in tune with!! I know what it's supposed to sound like and I can feel out where the issues are, and I think most people can!
#16
As a kid i told my brother that pressing the button harder made the planes in ace combat 5 accelerate more, he didnt believe me, years later i found out the ps2 had pressure sensitive buttons and i was right.
Susanna shared that she had also ignored her gut a few times while working in the corporate world. "The peer pressure to fit the norm is something else, and even when my gut was telling me not to do something, my colleagues convinced me otherwise," she noted.
"It didn't lead to anything destructive, but it did lead me to feeling disappointed in myself as I knew I wasn't living my truth. Don't ever let others tempt you out of listening to your gut instinct," she told Bored Panda. "If it's a no, it's a no for a reason (even if you can't yet articulate it and it's just a feeling). You should never feel the need to justify your decisions based on gut feeling. You can just say, 'I just feel this is what's best', and leave it at that. If people can't comprehend that, it's their problem, not yours."
#17
She told me she broke off all contact with the other guy so that we could focus on us and our relationship. She went to the kitchen to get some wine while watched the netflix Lemony Snicket and forgot her phone the couch. It lit up with a message from the other guy, with the text preview saying "i love you so much baby we'll get through this". I already knew, but it was nice to get the evidence that I knew.
#18
My brother asking me for money to buy a car and me telling him he can't drive and he's going to hurt somebody or end up in trouble. He told me he'd buy the car one way or another. It wasn't even 24 hours before he was in jail for driving without a license under the influence of d***s.
#19
When Susan Smith, of South Carolina, claimed a black man had stolen her car with her two sons in the back seat, I could TELL she was lying.
We also asked the expert for advice on how people can get better at following their own instincts. "Slow down and listen. Often we're so busy and our days are so full, we barely have time to listen to others let alone to ourselves," Susanna says. "Don't underestimate the value of connecting to yourself and your inner voice. This is what is going to best guide you in your life and lead you to your happiest, most fulfilling life."
"No one else can tell you what's right for you because only you know what's best for you. Learn to listen to your gut because it will know what is best," the expert continued. "The more you practice it, the easier it will get. And even if your brain might be saying yes, try to high pause on all the rational thoughts and ask yourself, 'How do I actually feel about this?'"
#20
When I was a kid I was watching the news with my parents and they were interviewing the lady who killed her kids by drowning them in a car (horrible story in the 90’s) and I blurted out “she did it.” My parents go super mad at me and said I shouldn’t say things like that, blah, blah, blah. Sure enough. She did it.
I could just tell somehow. My family still talks about it. They think I have some gift. I was just sad someone could do that to their kids.
Edit for spelling.
#21
June 1994, San Francisco, Candlestick Park for the Giants game. Walking with a couple of buddies in the concession areas waiting for the game to start. Instead of the PA system, announcing the pregame festivities, announcements, etc., The news broadcast of the white bronco making a run for the border was playing. When the O.J. Simpson story first broke days before, we couldn't believe that the Juice could have had anything to do with it. My friend looked at us as we stood there listening to the police chase of the Bronco and said, "You know, that's not what innocent people do.".
#22
When I was in highschool I thought my stepmother was cheating on my dad. Me and a friend rode out bikes up to the mall and as soon as we walked in I saw her and some guy sitting across from each other right in front of the food court. My stepmother was so shocked seeing me her eyes got as big as pie plates. As they were walking away he put his arm around her and they were whispering something to each other.
"One of the easiest ways to not listen to your gut instinct is when you start to listen to everyone else around you," Susanna added. "It's easy to fall into this trap because it's a very noisy world - from our friends and family offering well-intended advice to society and social media pressuring us with their shoulds. When it comes down to listening to your very own gut instinct, learn to ignore all that outside noise and fully reconnect with your inner voice. It's that voice that will know what is best for you."
If you'd like to hear more wise words from Susanna or check out her books, be sure to visit her website or follow her on Instagram!
#23
Scott Peterson.
The day he spoke about his wife with all her family supporting him, I told my husband, "He killed her".
Dream 5 months ago (edited)
For both of the commenters here trying to say he DIDN'T do it. No one and I mean NO ONE does the things Scott did afterward if they are innocent. 4! cell phones. Changing hair to blonde. Also, the affair with Amber Frey. Whom he told he would be a WIDOWER 2 weeks before Laci died. His car was stuffed with around ~15k in cash, viagra LOL and tons of survival camping gear etc. THESE ARE NOT THE THINGS AN INNOCENT PERSON DOES. And this is just the tip of suspicious things ol Scotty did. "I watched some crappy true crime person who wants to make money on youtube by rehashing old crimes" does NOT mean they get to rewrite history.
#24
Cycling home from work with a friend, the route took us from a downhill stretch on a main road and then through a smaller side street busy with shops, cafes and nose to curb parking. As we swung off the main road my spidey senses went off and I hit the brakes even though the path was clear, my friend continued at speed until a black BMW turned right in front of him. I barely managed to stop and would have crashed too if I hadn't braked earlier. Friend was a little bruised, bike was ok, new BMW had big scratches right across the front of it.
Biytemii 5 months ago
People have just stopped paying any attention while driving...feels like everyone thinks they're the only one on the road anymore. Who cares who's around you right? Idk maybe I'm just super careful but I always know where everyone is in my mirrors front back either side and the cars behind and in front of all of em. I have to do this because I can see people flying up behind cutting through traffic or something and making sure I give them a space to come in ( or if I'm in a mood and the traffic is set right I'll block em from keeping it going as long as I can) like really how far u getting. People here pass in middle turning lanes that are used even and fly around any time they can on the one main way through the towns. It's ridiculous.
#25
I suspected that an allegedly close friend of mine was the one spreading lies about me behind my back. She was the kind of girl who would always say I was her best friend, I was her sister, etc. but would rarely contact me unless she needed something. Found out people knew things about me I'd only told one or two others in confidence, so I made up something about myself and told it to only her. Rest of our friends learnt it and confronted me about it and I had my "I knew it" moment. Never spoke to her again.
Edit: the "thing" I made up - a different girl in our friend group had cheated on her boyfriend with another guy in the friend group whom I'd been texting with but it never went anywhere serious as I found him a bit sus (he told me he was in love with me 4 days into texting). I told the snake friend that we were dating and told her not to tell anyone because I wasn't ready for people to know. Around the time the other girl's boyfriend found out about her and the guy, my snake friend told everyone about me and the guy implying that I'd also been cheated on. Not only that but she heavily implied that I deserved it because...she had a crush on that guy EVEN THOUGH she had a boyfriend. This all sounds like high school drama but sadly it happened mostly in our early 20s. I'm not friends with any of those people anymore.
detective miller's hat 5 months ago
I had a "friend" exactly like this. No idea why I was the only target of her rumour mongering. We weren't even close and I had never said or done anything that would warrant such horrible behaviour towards me. It took me a few years before I even figured out she was the one spreading ridiculous rumours about me. Finally during my third year at uni I heard from an old high school buddy that I had apparently: gotten knocked up, had no idea who the father was, and had given myself an abortion with a coat hanger. Anyone who knew me even a little would have known there was no chance of any of that happening, which is how the rumours were all eventually traced back to her. F*ck you, Marissa.
#26
There’s more context, but my ex-husband’s ex-girlfriend (who I love like a sister and has helped me so much) sent me screenshots of him trying to cheat with her very early in our relationship. He also texted her that he missed her a few days before we got married. I always knew it.
Edited for more clarity so that people don’t mistakenly think I’m the biggest nitwit this side of the Internet: I suspected that something was going on for years, but had no evidence and was repeatedly called crazy, insecure, jealous etc.
Divorced his a**e nearly 6 years later, got in touch with his ex (that’s the long story I didn’t want to get into), and then finally saw the screenshots. Had I seen them earlier, I’d have hightailed it out of there.
He also faked a text from her, later in our marriage, begging to take him back — just to make me feel like s**t. Had my suspicions about that text too, and she confirmed it was fake at the same time she sent me the (real) screenshots.
#27
The day I confirmed my ex had secretly turned into an alcoholic was pretty rough. Long story short, she showed up to my house stumbling and then it clicked…all those times I thought it was alcohol in her breath it was—I had just been gas lit to believe other wise.
Lee Banks 5 months ago (edited)
You're not my ex (we lived together), but i feel you. I was the alcoholic. I'm ashamed every day. He wasn't a good man, but he didn't deserve what I put him through. Be well in future relationships. Edit: I got engaged last night to a man I'm completely honest with. He supports me in all ways, knows my history, and life is healthier.
#29
When i was 8 i looked at my mom and asked her if she was pregnant, she said no, and i asked if she was sure and she doubled down. i then said, “well you should probably start going to the gym you’re getting kinda fat.”
About a week later she announced in front of the whole family that she was in fact pregnant. she just didn’t wanna tell me before everyone else lol.
#30
When my neighbor was mauled by her pet, which she continually plastered on social media in various outfits. won't say what kind of pet but you can guess.
What do you think ?
Montanavanna 5 months ago
At 12 years walking with Lil sis around town, get approached by a dude with a camera. He wants to take our photo so he can draw us. He also needs our number so he can contact us and give us the photo. I told the creep to f**k off and took my sis home. Weeks later, the dude gets arrested for stalking little girls and having images of the cp he took himself.
BookFanatic 5 months ago
I was with my dad, riding under a train overpass, and noticed a train stopped overhead. I'd never seen a train stopped there before, and told my dad "the train is stopped because [name of a teacher my mother worked with] jumped in front of it." My dad dismissed the notion and we went home. Five minutes after we walked through the door, the phone rang. I said "That's [name of principal]. Calling to tell mom [teacher] died." I was right on both accounts.
Sky Render 5 months ago
Quite a large number of people (friends, family, people I watch/read content from, etc.) who I've suspected are closeted transgender have come out of the closet as transgender. It's to the point that nowadays I don't bother voicing my thoughts on who might be as I don't want to scare them deeper into the closet if they are.
Montanavanna 5 months ago
At 12 years walking with Lil sis around town, get approached by a dude with a camera. He wants to take our photo so he can draw us. He also needs our number so he can contact us and give us the photo. I told the creep to f**k off and took my sis home. Weeks later, the dude gets arrested for stalking little girls and having images of the cp he took himself.
BookFanatic 5 months ago
I was with my dad, riding under a train overpass, and noticed a train stopped overhead. I'd never seen a train stopped there before, and told my dad "the train is stopped because [name of a teacher my mother worked with] jumped in front of it." My dad dismissed the notion and we went home. Five minutes after we walked through the door, the phone rang. I said "That's [name of principal]. Calling to tell mom [teacher] died." I was right on both accounts.
Sky Render 5 months ago
Quite a large number of people (friends, family, people I watch/read content from, etc.) who I've suspected are closeted transgender have come out of the closet as transgender. It's to the point that nowadays I don't bother voicing my thoughts on who might be as I don't want to scare them deeper into the closet if they are.
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