I hear this phrase a lot and hadn’t thought much about it until recently.

I read this quite brilliant explanation the other day:

Faithfuls have relied on “gut feelings”–a phrase which suggests they’re accessing some deep-rooted, instinctive wisdom, when in fact what they’re accessing is a collection of prejudices, stereotypes and normative expectations which lead, as we’ve seen, to illogical and inconsistent judgments.

Gender, talking and The Traitors – Debbie Cameron

The next time someone tells you they’re relying on their gut instincts to make a decision which affects you, ask which prejudices, stereotypes and normative expectations they’re using to make that decision.