Basic Instincts

They speak with a kind of authority that does not come from credentials or confidence, but from the integrity of their lives. Their judgments are not always perfect, but they are trustworthy. And that trustworthiness has been earned.

Instinct, in this deeper sense, is not a reflex. It is not a primal force that overrides reason. It is the fruit of formation. Over time, our habits and choices shape a kind of interior response to reality. When that response becomes aligned with the good, it can be trusted. When it is shaped by fear, pride, or imitation, it becomes a source of con... See more