The importance of intuition and the limits of rationalism

Have you ever had an instinct that arrived before the reasons did? I certainly have. But what exactly is that kind of knowing? Some might call it a gut feeling or an intuition. It’s not logic, nor is it really emotion. It’s hard to name, but there’s a strong case to be made that it’s the most important type of intelligence we possess as humans.

In his new essay Wisdom Beyond Words, writer and investor John Candeto explores the idea that our most essential knowledge often can’t be captured in language or data. As the modern world prioritizes optimization and AI, intuition has been pushed aside. But if we want to make wiser decisions — in life and in work — John argues it’s time we started listening more closely to those human signals. And I agree.

“Humanity moved from passively accepting an uncertain future to actively seeking to understand, quantify, and manage risk, transforming it from a mysterious enemy into a catalyst for progress and innovation,” John writes. “This was all well and good. But we took it too far.” He continues:

Key quote: “As we have discussed elsewhere, we began to believe that all systems could be understood like dice. This led to rationalism, including seeing businesses as mechanical systems where we can swap people in-and-out, like cogs. I don’t know anyone who enjoys being treated like a cog. Nor do I know any phenomenal businesses that treat people this way. It is a cancer of the corporate world that many still try. Businesses-as-machines was partially true, but missed the broader reality.”

Mapping the evolution of consciousness

Last week in Kyoto, I had a serendipitous dinner with Leading Edge founder Tom Morgan and Guy Spier (and his family), who were also traveling through Japan.

Our conversation quickly veered into the deep end — consciousness, complexity, survival, and the future of society. These are themes Tom has been exploring with real intensity for months, so it’s a joy to see him finally distill his thinking in a new essay: Rainbow Onions and Turquoise Gardeners.

At a high level, Tom maps how human consciousness evolves — from basic survival instincts to more complex, integrated worldviews. Using a framework called Spiral Dynamics, he explores how our values shift over time, both individually and collectively. His core argument is powerful: as the world grows more complex, our thinking must evolve to match it. And the wisest leaders aren’t those who try to control the system — but those who learn to tend it, like gardeners working with the grain of life itself. (Many thanks to Matthew Stafford for making the connection.)

Key quote: “The metaphor [author and philosopher] Peter [Merry] likes to use is that, when a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly, new ‘imaginal cells’ emerge. These are initially attacked by the old system, but when they first connect to each other and then persist, the old form dissolves and fuels the new. The butterfly must then struggle against the walls of the cocoon until it eventually has sufficient strength to survive on its own. The new generation of leaders will build these spaces.”

OUTLAST field notes: Kaikado, Kyoto — Six Generations of Craft, Carried by Hand

Last week in Kyoto, I had the opportunity to meet with Takahiro Yagi, the sixth-generation owner of Kaikado, one of Japan’s oldest makers of chazutsu — handcrafted tea caddies forged with precision and inherited care. I took some photos and videos here.

The shop is modest. But the philosophy is profound. Kaikado’s work has inspired designers around the world (including, reportedly, Steve Jobs), and their approach is built on a quiet paradox: to change without changing.

For more than 150 years, the Yagi family has resisted scale in favor of timelessness. Each tea caddy takes 40 to 50 hours to craft by hand. The copper is sourced in Japan. The joinery is seamless and invisible. And if a caddy breaks — even decades later — they will repair it. Like the business itself, these objects are meant to be handed down.

In the workshop, I spoke with a young craftsman halfway through his ten-year apprenticeship. When I asked what he loved most about the work, he paused and said: “To focus on one thing, and communicate with others through the object itself.”

Everywhere I go, I see the same pattern: true longevity is born not just from durability, but from soul — and the discipline to care for what the world cannot see.

A few more links I enjoyed:

What A World (A few Stories) – via Morgan Housel

Key quote: “‍Gallup has been asking Americans for more than four decades, ‘Are you satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. right now?’ The average percent of Americans answering ‘no’ since 1969 is 63%. What’s interesting is that Gallup asks a follow-up question: ‘Are you satisfied with the way things are going in your own life right now?’ There, the average ‘no’ response is just 15.8%. People tend to be optimistic about themselves but pessimistic about others. Social media probably supercharges that. Benedict Evans says, ‘The more the Internet exposes people to new points of view, the angrier people get that different views exist.’”

What Searching For Aliens Reveals About Ourselves – via Noema

Key quote: “‍As an astrobiologist, I am often teased about my profession. Some people believe that astrobiology is just a catchy buzzword used to garner headlines and secure funding. Others view it as mere science fiction — or worse, a pseudoscience — because it lacks a subject of study. The most common question I get about my field is, ‘How can you even do astrobiology when you haven’t found life in space yet?’ My answer is always the same: ‘Ah, but we have found life in space.'”