Paying attention to first impressions can help you ask better questions and make wiser decisions.

Intuition works best when paired with logic rather than used as a substitute for it.

Anxiety, bias, and wishful thinking can cloud intuition because they are often emotionally charged.

Some people leave you energized and steady while others drain you. We often notice these reactions before we can explain why: A colleague who immediately feels trustworthy, a manager who puts you on edge, or a new connection who seems promising until they do something that irks you, even if you doubt yourself about that reaction.

Intuitive impressions can help us—or mislead us—depending on how we interpret them. Throughout this series, I’ve spoken with Nil Demircubuk, Ph.D., author of Down to Earth: Demystify Intuition to Upgrade Your Life, about calming mental noise, resetting during stressful workdays, and using intuition in the workplace and during networking conversations. In this final conversation, we widen the lens further: how intuition shapes the way we read people, decide when to trust, and choose where to invest our energy.

NA: I’ve often thought, “Something felt off” about a person or work-related relationship, but I can’t put my finger on it. What are examples of intuitive signals that may deserve attention early, before we rationalize them away?

ND: Intuitive signals are typically quick, subtle, and gentle. When we meet someone for the first time, we may have an uneasy feeling right away that tells us to stay away. Someone else may bring a........

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