What if We Could See into the Future?

This spring I was joining my girlfriends at a local Starbucks, where we meet almost every Friday morning. It is a time for us to catch up on our families and careers, dive deep into politics, and support one another. I am always seated where I can see out into the parking lot, like when I was sitting at Starbucks one morning.

That particular Friday morning, I saw a man who was fully masked (not the medical mask look, more the robbery mask look) back into a parking space, and he walked toward the front door but did not enter.

For about 10 minutes, the masked man stood near the door, very animated while speaking on the phone and texting, then got back into his car and peeled out of the parking lot. Hmmm. Fifteen minutes later, he reappears in the exact same sequence of events. Never came into the coffee shop. This scene stayed in my head for a few days – was he going to rob the place, or am I just being paranoid? I had a weird gut feeling.

Two weeks later, on my regular Friday morning, I turned into the Starbucks parking lot and was almost hit by a car speeding out of the lot.  It was the same masked man with another large man seated next to him. I walked into the store, where there was a lot of commotion and chatter.  One of the men had come into the store and, after demanding free products, was asked to leave. Minutes later, he and the masked man tried to carjack a customer in the parking lot. Wrong customer this time. The retired Marine pulled out a gun and pointed it at them, leading them to run back to their vehicle and screech out of the parking lot.

Again, I kind of had a feeling….

How many times have we told ourselves, or heard other people say, “I had a gut feeling about this person,” “I had a gut feeling when taking this job,” or “I had second thoughts the moment I walked down the aisle”? And then those gut feelings play out just as we anticipated.

What if we could see into the future?  Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Not only do we often fail to listen to ourselves, but we also fail to truly listen to others. Take, for example, after World War I, Winston Churchill warned that the harsh terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles and the punitive reparations and restrictions imposed on Germany would not secure peace but would instead foster deep resentment and breed a desire for vengeance. He also continued to warn England and other nations that the Nazis were gaining power and would pose a danger to other countries. Most dismissed him.  

Reflecting on my life, I can clearly see the times when I should, and should not, have paid attention to my gut feelings and listened to others.  

There are so many reasons we do not listen to ourselves.

We live in a society that prioritizes logic and data, and acting on intuition can be considered unprofessional. Sometimes we have invested too much in a relationship, job, or project, and we want to ignore our inner voice or others’ perspectives.

There are also reasons we do not listen to others.

People heavily discount predictions that do not benefit them or require immediate sacrifices, preferring to hold out for desired outcomes.

Knowing when to listen to our gut or to heed the advice of others is complex. Our gut feeling evolved over time to keep us safe from danger. Yet sometimes it prevents us from making wise decisions and taking advantage of new opportunities.

When should we listen to our gut?

• Remember, emotions can complicate situations. If your intuition is about an emotional decision or you are under pressure, take a pause. Explore whether anxiety or past fears are impacting your feelings.
• Gut feelings can be a starting point but not a final solution. They work best when paired with facts, especially in high-stakes decisions.
• When you have a good gut feeling or a hunch that something does not feel right, acknowledge it and check it out—just to be sure. This could be a reaction based on past observations and experiences.  

When should we seriously listen to others?

• When a source has a strong track record of sharing valuable information, based on new data, and does not speak in absolutes. Good sources consider and acknowledge others’ perspectives and update their views in light of new information.
• When the subject is derived from environments linked to structure, rules, and data-rich environments.
• When the message can be used for preparation, not certainty, so you can evaluate your options and build your plans.

None of us can really see into the future. Though we cannot always avoid life’s surprises, we can hopefully make better decisions. Whether in our personal or professional lives, the challenge for all of us is to listen and pay attention to our own voices and to others, and to balance instincts with evidence.