"If your head tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, before you do anything, you should first decide whether you have a better head or a better heart"

Marilyn vos Savant’s words delve into the profound internal conflict between logic and emotion. When faced with a difficult decision, it’s common for thoughts and feelings to diverge, our rational mind pulling us in one direction, our emotional core urging another. She points out a crucial preliminary step: self-reflection. We’re urged not to react impulsively, but to pause and consider the relative strengths of our reasoning and our compassion before making a choice.

Sometimes we pride ourselves on intellect, analyzing facts and probable outcomes with meticulous care. Yet, rationality can sometimes miss the nuances of human emotion, the subtle undercurrents of empathy and intuition. Conversely, a heart-led decision might be rich in care and understanding but may overlook practical realities or long-term consequences, potentially guided by fleeting feelings rather than steady judgment. Vos Savant suggests we evaluate which aspect of ourselves is more reliable in the context of the decision at hand.

It’s an invitation to self-awareness: do we have a consistent track record of clarity and wise analysis, or are our greatest strengths in kindness, empathy, and understanding? This isn’t about declaring one approach universally superior, it’s about identifying which, between intellect and emotion, is sharper, truer, or more mature within oneself at the moment. A person who’s often clouded by anxiety might realize their head isn’t always trustworthy, while someone prone to impulsive compassion might need to rely more on reason.

Ultimately, deciding which part of oneself to trust more reorients the process of decision making. Rather than simply choosing logic over emotion or vice versa, it becomes a personal calibration. Vos Savant’s insight empowers individuals to make choices not determined by the loudest internal voice, but by the wisest, most trustworthy part of their character.