---
contentType: annotation
title: The hidden gap in the way we see things — note 5
annotationTarget: /essays/the-hidden-gap-in-the-way-we-see#footnote-anchor-5
newsletterUrl: https://chaosmap.substack.com/p/the-hidden-gap-in-the-way-we-see#footnote-5
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image: /images/chaos-map-share.jpg
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In Jung’s view, our subconscious mind constantly soaks in patterns without classifying, interpreting, or contextualizing them — a dreamlike stream of raw unassociated input flowing underneath whatever we’re actively paying attention to. He explains intuition partly as our subconscious resurfacing patterns found within this raw data that’s outside of our conscious thoughts which is why they seemingly appear out of nowhere.

So contrary to popular notions, developing stronger intuition isn't a matter of stabbing in the dark by free association, brainstorming, using “design thinking” techniques, following our heart, or channeling a muse. It's a *perception* function — an image that appears as a given before we have a chance to interpret what may explain everything or nothing.

Intuition exists in our psyche because existential threats and game-changing innovations alike can't be seen down in the weeds of how things are now or were before. Seeing what's coming around the corner requires leaving the safety of what we know and taking a broader, speculative, and riskier view. But if our ancestors didn’t have an intuition function we wouldn’t be here.

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