To think that "go with your gut" is

[seeker]

...the worst possible advice anyone could ever be given?

We have reason and intellect- going with them is surely always going to the best option!

Not always

A gut feeling or intuition can sometimes be very useful

YABU.

An instinctual response is a combination of what you know and knowledge that you don't know you have. Instict or gut feeling is also formed from.subtle clues that your subconscious picks up.

Therefore going with 'your gut' is reasonable to me because it is generally not random or illogical, just the person can't articulate their thought processes fully.

Yabu.

I don't think it is bad advice.

Going with " gut " is very useful.
Instinct is very useful and is derived from all our past knowledge and experiences .
Not to be under rated .

I trust my gut feeling for lots of things and it's rarely let me down. As another poster has pointed out, it's not total whim - more usually a combination of subconscious information and knowledge.

YABU

YABU
it is the best advice, for reasons already given

I always think it is the men's version of 'trust your instincts/intuition'

YABU.

I chose between 3 equally good primary schools based on gut instinct. I knew which school would be right for my children.

Perhaps for someone with no natural instinct and intuition it is not the right option.

No one ever just goes with their gut instinct anyway.

Have you ever read this?
www.gladwell.com/blink/index.html

Yabu.

Depends on how 'good' your gut instinct is.

in my experience people only use their reason and intellect to explain decisions they have made based on their gut instinct.

I think reason and intellect come in handy, but all the important decisions are taken instinctively.

hmm, well, "guts" alone may not be the best advice...but I often say to MNers with sick DCs, wondering if they should go to A&E or whatever, to use their instinct

you can "reason" with yourself, that you have been to the GP and got some meds for xyz symptoms, you can use your intellect and tell yourself that the GP is a professional who has had years of training and knows what they are doing, but only YOU, as a parent, know your child and if you feel, in your gut, that something is not right, then you should act on that feeling.

It may be wrong, but it often is right IYSWIM

YABU gut instinct is fed by subtle cues such body language that our brain responds to without us having to intellectually process the information.

The few times I've gone against my gut feeling have been an absolute disaster. I won't ignore my intuition again.

Whenever I have ignored my gut feeling or instinct because the objective information carefully considered and weighed up has indicated a different and evidence based decision - it has been the wrong decision. A job, an engagement, a school, hiring a member of staff. I always follow my "gut" now.

I believe that people make different decisions based on 'head' and heart'.

I certainly have.

Having a 3rd child was definitely heart. Nothing sensible about the decision at all. An idiot could see it was the wrong decision for a multitude of reasons .

The cute, wriggling lump of gorgeousness is on my lap right now. She's 20 months now and things have turned out fine.

In fact after having to leave my beloved career because of having a 3rd child, I ended up getting offered a more senior job in a different field.

Most of my friends have stuck with one or two children because they used their head, and quite rightly so!

It serves me well, I always find it best and the times that I use my head to go against are the times that things don't work out well. I always used it for school choice and have told DSs to visit universities, work out the best in terms of courses, teaching and facilities and then go with gut feeling to decide.
Maybe you are not a very intuitive person OP. I can't think of an instance where mine has let me down.

YABU. I think it can be fantastic advice.

I had been told by two different doctors that my DD 'had a little virus' and that I was being 'overprotective'. After being told this for a second time, thankfully I went with my own gut instinct and took her straight to A & E where she was diagnosed with a life threatening condition that she will have to live with for the rest of her life. I think you should always take your gut instinct seriously.

I agree with medically, if you have a gut feeling something is wrong always act in it.

I have occasionally allowed reason to take precedence over my gut instinct. In almost all cases, I have later regretted it.

YABU

YABU. I always go with my gut, and it has always been right.