Instinct, intuition and thought
Jamie Lee Curtis‘s character in the film ‘A Fish called Wanda’ responded to the declaration by the character played by Kevin Klein that ‘Apes don’t read philosophy’ with the rejoinder ‘Yes they do. They just don’t understand it.’
Both animals and humans were created by God. They all have instinct and intuition but when we get to the ‘thoughts’ part it gets tricky. Contrary to both Kevin Klein‘s assertion and Jamie Lee Curtis‘s response, apes can’t read; but they do have instincts and they do have intuition. We know they can think, but the degree to which they think is not known but definitely has limits. What is known is that they don’t understand philosophy. They don’t possess the thought processes to do this or to articulate whatever they actually know. That ability belongs to humans alone. It was designed by God to be so and is at least hinted at very early in the scriptures in Genesis chapter 1 where God sets the order of dominance – humans dominate animals not vice versa.
‘God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”’ (Genesis 1:28 NIV)
This is what Google AI has to say about instinct, intuition and thought: “While all three guide your actions, they operate differently: Instinct is an inborn survival drive, thought is slow and logical processing, and intuition is rapid, subconscious pattern recognition built from experience.
Instinct: The Unconscious Survival Reaction
What it is: An innate, genetic, and automatic biological impulse designed for self-preservation.
How it feels: Urgent, fast, and narrowing. It bypasses executive brain function to physically react—such as pulling your hand away from a hot stove or reacting with a burst of adrenaline when frightened.
Origin: Hard-wired at birth; humans and animals share it.
Thought: The Conscious, Logical Process
What it is: Deliberate, analytical processing of information (often called "System 2" thinking).
How it feels: Slower, step-by-step, and effortful. It involves weighing pros and cons, recalling specific facts, and engaging in internal debate.
Origin: The prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for higher-level reasoning.
Intuition: The Subconscious Experience
What it is: A "gut feeling" or knowing without having immediate, hard evidence. It draws on your stored memories, past experiences, and learned patterns to make rapid, unexplainable judgments.
How it feels: Calm, expansive, and clear. It often presents as a brief physical sensation or a quiet certainty rather than a frantic warning.
Origin: Developed over time based on your life experiences and expertise.”
This information is yet another thing which shows me how incredibly complex all life is and how amazing God is to be the designer of it all. How is this important to us?
Well logically, God had to have a reason for doing all this and He does.
God's reason, and the amazing effect His purpose can have on us all, is explained in His book, the Bible. If we want that knowledge, all we have to do is to start reading His book. All the information is there.