Human Intuition: Why Primal Intelligence Surpasses AI

Angus Fletcher, a professor of story science at Ohio State’s Project Narrative, has dedicated his research to understanding the intricacies of the human mind, drawing insights from visionary thinkers and U.S. Army Special Operators. His work, endorsed by leading psychologists, neuroscientists, and doctors, and supported by institutions like the National Science Foundation, suggests that human intelligence possesses a distinct advantage over artificial intelligence, particularly in environments marked by volatility and uncertainty. Fletcher’s findings indicate a clear path to training the mind for superior performance, even with limited information.

One key insight from Fletcher’s new book, Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know, posits that to unlock intuition, one must actively seek out exceptions rather than patterns. For decades, cognitive scientists like Herbert Simon and Daniel Kahneman have defined intuition as pattern matching. Yet, curiously, young children, despite being less adept at pattern recognition, often demonstrate higher levels of intuition. Fletcher’s investigation into Special Operators, renowned for their exceptional battlefield intuition, revealed their training focused on spotting “exceptional information”—instances that break established rules. Unlike patterns, exceptions, such as a warm-blooded reptile or a rainbow at night, represent the unprecedented. This explains children’s high intuitive scores; their brains are naturally attuned to unusual details. Adults can cultivate this ability by immersing themselves in novel environments, such as through travel, or by engaging with art forms like Shakespearean plays, which are replete with characters who defy conventional archetypes, thus opening the mind to the exceptional. This practice, Fletcher notes, has historically enabled individuals like Nikola Tesla, Marie Curie, and Vincent van Gogh to spot groundbreaking exceptions that reshaped technology, physics, and art.

Furthermore, Fletcher challenges conventional wisdom on optimism, arguing that its true strength lies in our past successes, not future predictions. While psychologists often emphasize optimism’s effectiveness, its frequent need for reinforcement suggests a fundamental misunderstanding. Real optimism is not the conviction that “this will succeed,” which can shatter with a single failure. Instead, it is the more resilient belief that “this can succeed.” This subtle but crucial distinction allows for continued faith despite setbacks, as long as a single past success can be recalled. Unlike “magical thinking” that visualizes future triumphs, this method, dubbed “antifragile” by Special Operators, builds a robust optimism rooted in lived experience, impervious to defeat.

Fletcher also contends that the human brain possesses an inherent superiority over AI in volatile conditions. While computers excel at logic and data processing, they falter in novel situations lacking reliable information. The human brain’s advantage, Fletcher explains, stems from “narrative cognition”—the ability to think in stories. This capacity, which evolved alongside data-driven thinking during the Cambrian Explosion approximately 500 million years ago, imbues the brain with imagination and wisdom. While potentially a drawback in data-rich environments, story-thinking enables humans to navigate hazy, rapidly changing ecosystems far more effectively than AI, which relies on pre-existing data.

This unique human capacity for imaginative problem-solving extends to real-life challenges, particularly in managing anxiety and anger. Fletcher suggests that the rising emotional distress among students is not primarily due to technology or over-coddling, but rather a lack of opportunities to develop inner resources for handling threats. Unlike Special Operators, who train their imaginations to devise plans for confronting dangers, many students lack the mental tools to respond to perceived threats, leading to physiological stress responses. He advocates for the arts and humanities—specifically role-playing, theater, literature, and history—as critical for fostering this imaginative capacity. These activities, unlike passive engagement with technology on screens, actively exercise the brain’s “imagination muscles,” empowering individuals to envision solutions and navigate life’s complexities with the same adaptability as Special Operators.

Finally, Fletcher asserts that true leaders do not think in probabilities, but in possibilities. Current leadership training, often focused on quantitative approaches and statistical probabilities, overlooks the brain’s capacity for original thinking. Probability, by definition, is based on past occurrences, offering a zero chance for something entirely new. Possibility, conversely, transcends past data, representing an event that has never happened but does not violate fundamental laws. The Wright Brothers, for instance, saw the possibility of flight where Lord Kelvin, a brilliant mathematician thinking in probabilities, saw none. To cultivate this leadership quality, Fletcher suggests moving beyond data-heavy fields and instead nurturing practical imagination through realistic tales of make-believe, such as classic novels or stories set in the near future or different cultures. These narratives stimulate the brain’s capacity for possibility, fostering the entrepreneurial spirit and initiative essential for leadership.