Many times in life I’ve been told to make decisions based on gut instinct … and as far as I can tell so far, it doesn’t make me any more likely to make the right decision. I beginning to think that either my gut is wrong or I have no instincts.
I find it very frustrating when people tell me that I should trust my “gut” … because msot of the time my gut says “run for the hills and hide” … and it says that about nearly anything in life!! eg. which pair of jeans should I buy? … run away say my insides!!! Obviously not a great technique for living life … but it is what my “gut” says!!!
When trying to assess people (choosing tradesmen etc) I struggle to make good decisions (or is that just the quality of tradespeople?!) … I don’t think I have the kind of perception that picks up subtle behaviours … so should I trust that my “gut” is able to do this when I know that consciously I can’t?
Is gut instinct something that is the equivalent of fairies and happy endings? Or am I the deficient one?
The one thing I really trust my gut with is digestion, and I keep the Pepto-Bismol in the medicine cabinet just in case. 
IMO what happens is that in reality, there is NO *inborn instinct for deciding something like quality of tradespeople or style of pants. Mere “gut” feeling * insufficently informed by experience or knowledge about the issue at hand is no more reliable than a random drawing. When you see someone making decisions based on the “gut” or the “heart” or “common” sense or even prejudices; when you see them “pick up subtle clues”; you are seeing them apply LEARNED patterns, things absorbed not necessarily consciously, in the course of experience and observation and social conditioning, that become perceived as “natural” or “instinctive” because the person does not think them through, it just “feels right”, and does not remember ever having been consciously aware of “learning” it.
I suppose it links in to the belief of some people that there are auras etc around people … as though they are detectable and it just takes instinct or inner talents to know those things … vs learned behaviours
The gut instinct, like anything else, is something you cultivate and refine over time.
It’s just that when you assess any situation, you are rarely going to have 100% confidence in your decision. But if you have 60% confidence in one decision and 40% confidence in another, “going with your gut” means choosing the former, obviously. It’s not really magical at all - it’s the sum total of your experience, knowledge, and intuition. (Intuition is a valid concept even if you can’t qualify it in words due to the presence of subconscious perceptions)
Sounds like you have an anxiety issue which is overwhelming your ability to make good decisions, and that is why you don’t think you have a “gut instinct”.