12 signs you’re an intuitive person (even if you don’t realize it)

Intuition is a pretty elusive trait that’s more challenging to define than intelligence or empathy.

It’s one of those things that people can’t seem to explain, and it’s this elusiveness that lends most of the mystery associated with intuition.

In reality, it’s a very grounding experience honed from displaying empathy, slowness, and compassion.

Intuition isn’t innate; it’s a learned temperament akin to the wisdom that depends on a person’s experience and ability to stay mindful in situations.

The good news is that intuition can be fostered and nurtured. If you’re looking to be more intuitive, here are traits of intuitive people that you can replicate:

1) They Stay In Touch With Their Inner Voice

Everyone has an autocritical voice inside their head that’s constantly self-reflecting. Other people tune in and go on autopilot; intuitive people don’t.

They pay attention to what they’re feeling, emotionally and somatically, to get an understanding of how they’re reacting to situations.

What typically comes off as wisdom is confidence in their principles and values.

Because intuitive people are in touch with their moral compass and have an intimate understanding of their standards and their relationship with the world, they have an easier way of navigating difficult situations and resolving ambivalence or uncertainty.

2) They Don’t Ignore Personal Observations

Intuitive people not only reflect on their inner voice but also take the time to observe the world around them.

Instead of acting on a whim, they use information from other people and their environment to get a more holistic understanding of situations.

Intuitive people are often the least judgmental people in the room.

That’s not to say they’re free of judgments; it’s that they are much slower to come to conclusions because they’re open-minded and thrive in curiosity instead of relying on biases.

3) They’re Trustworthy

Intuitive people aren’t a great breed of super social beings because they’re naturally charismatic.

They can often build trust and forge bonds with people relatively quickly because of their natural slowness and attention to detail.

Instead of relying on charm or deceit, intuitive people often pay attention to another person’s experience to respond appropriately to people’s needs.

They are aware when a person is uncomfortable VS open-hearted, allowing them to go at a speed that their conversation partner is comfortable with, rather than bulldozing head-on blindly.

4) They Take Things Slow

Whereas other people might feel tempted to make rushed decisions or avoid critical situations, an intuitive person would savor the decision-making process.

They consider the possibilities and take a holistic approach and think about decisions before they make them.

They are not impulsive.

Because they are so in tune with their own needs and emotions, they better understand what they want and don’t mind the journey to certainty, even if it’s a little slower than others.

When they finally make decisions, they are likely to have a strong sense of pride, confidence, and peace of mind.

5) They Have A Tendency To Be Upset With Poor Decisions

Being perceptive doesn’t mean omniscience. Now and then, their decision-making will slip up, and they’ll have to face the consequences for their actions.

When it happens, they might beat themselves up a little more harshly; after all, they do spend a lot of time mulling things over without jumping the gun.

If you have an intuitive person in your life, know that even the lows are welcome experiences. These are opportunities to learn, grow, and gain insight to help them make better decisions next time.

6) They Have Great Emotional Depth

Too many people think emotions are a crutch.

We’re conditioned to think that emotional vulnerability is the antithesis to strength or productivity.

Perceptive people are wise because they are acutely aware of their feelings.

Instead of taking a leap and ignoring all the warning signs, intuitive people are calibrated to listen to the alarms in their head letting them know when something’s wrong.

What typically comes off as wisdom is a trained, continuous decision to listen to their gut and explore those feelings.

7) They Are Mindful Thinkers

Mindfulness gets such a bad rap from modern representation.

Contrary to the fads and trends that involve nudges to otherworldliness, the core of mindfulness is rooted in a person’s ability to pay keen attention to what’s happening in the moment.

Instead of letting the anxious mind wander to conclusions or judgment, mindful thinkers zoom in on the situation and react accordingly.

This includes paying attention to how they’re feeling, asking for feedback from others, gleaning insight from other people’s body language and tone, and using all that to formulate an appropriate response.

They navigate anxiety and prevent situations from spiraling by staying in the moment and addressing things as they come, as they are.

8) They Listen To Their Mind and Body

The highly intuitive individual understands that their mind and body are the most important parts of their reality, because only with their mind and body can they interact with the rest of the world.

So they listen to every need and feeling that their mind and body might have, and try to understand what that might mean.

Intuitive people care deeply about their dreams, and might even venture into the challenge of lucid dreaming to interact with their dreams more intimately.

They also try their best to stay in tune with their body, feeling the needs and sensitivities of their muscles, joints, and limbs.

They often practice spiritual and physical exercises to become closer with themselves, such as yoga.

9) They’re Imaginative and Creative

Highly intuitive individuals love the act of thinking, which can be quite unique in an age where a thousand different things are competing for your attention 24/7.

Intuitive people don’t let any cool or unique idea pass them by, especially when it’s related to something they’re interested in.

This can be a problem when it comes to productivity, as intuitive individuals can become easily distracted by their own thoughts, losing hours of the day to daydreaming new ideas.

They’ll also find it difficult to sleep at night at times, as their mind might be running wild with imagination.

10) They Stay True To Their Purpose

Intuitive individuals tend to have a certain level of purposefulness in common.

Being so in touch with their mind and thoughts, they eventually build the idea that they have some kind of destiny that needs to be fulfilled or a calling that they must hear and follow while they’re alive.

To others, this may seem a little self-righteous, even the idea of believing you have a destiny in the first place.

But the concept of “destiny” and a “purpose that must be fulfilled” doesn’t always have to be some vast, world-changing event, and intuitive people know that.

It’s mostly about finding what excites them, what inspires them and committing their lives to push that cause forward.

When they finally find their path, it cannot be easy to knock them off of it.

11) They Are Generally Optimistic

It’s rare to find a highly intuitive person who isn’t, at their core, an optimistic soul. But what does it mean to be joyful?

Some might confuse optimism with liveliness, excitement, joy, and grit.

While optimism can also lead to those things, they’re not necessarily connected.

To be happy means having the belief that some good will always arise, regardless of the situation. Intuitive individuals can be introverted and quiet while still being some of the most optimistic souls you’ll ever meet because they honestly never give up.

They deeply feel their feelings and the feelings of those around them, making it impossible for them to stop caring about the world and their communities.

Finally, an intuitive person doesn’t care to hold any negativity close to their hearts. Therefore, you will never see a highly intuitive individual carry around a grudge because they understand profoundly these feelings can negatively affect them.

12) They’re In Touch With Their Spirituality

There is more to this world than what we can see and touch.

At least, that’s what a highly intuitive person would tell you, as these people are almost always spiritual on some level.

While not necessarily religious, high intuition leads to spirituality or the general belief that the physical world is only a tiny part of reality.

But it should be no surprise that the highly intuitive are also inherently spiritual.

Being so in touch with your thoughts and feelings, caring so much about the emotions of others, and having the courage to think and imagine whatever comes to mind: all of these naturally lead a person to question reality itself and build their sense of what they generally believe about the world.

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Lachlan Brown

I’m Lachlan Brown, the founder, and editor of Hack Spirit. I love writing practical articles that help others live a mindful and better life. I have a graduate degree in Psychology and I’ve spent the last 15 years reading and studying all I can about human psychology and practical ways to hack our mindsets. Check out my latest book on the Hidden Secrets of Buddhism and How it Saved My Life. If you want to get in touch with me, hit me up on Facebook or Twitter.

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