go with your gut

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

to follow one's intuitive sense of the right choice rather than relying solely on explicit analysis or external advice; similar to gut instinct but with greater emphasis on the active decision to trust one's intuitive response; the phrase reflects a widespread folk epistemology in which authentic inner knowledge is considered more reliable than external input in matters of personal significance; research suggests that going with one's gut is most reliable in domains where the decision-maker has extensive experience and where rapid feedback has allowed intuitions to be well-calibrated over time