Logic vs. intuition

I got my bookshelves yesterday, and am impatient to get them put together. I managed to get them inside somehow, which is saying something, because they are too heavy for me to lift off the ground. I’m supposed to wait for B. to help me put them together. It’s rather cute, he’s afraid of me putting them together the wrong way. Last night when I was going to attempt it, he said, “If you do try to put them together, at least read the directions.” That made me laugh, as reading directions is not something I do. And, actually, I’m thankful I don't, for that’s how I met Lisa. We became friends, because she burst out laughing at me--and in no gentle way. I looked at her then and said, “I’m going to like you.”

We had been asked to complete the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and were supposed to place ourselves on a grid depending on our learning styles (which of course I did without reading the instructions, though I did ask a second year if I did the test correctly).

I ended up with people talking about reading VCR manuals in detail. I knew something was terribly wrong. I don't belong here! I moved myself to the place I thought I should be, in the farmost corner of Active Experimentation (AE)—doing—and Concrete Experience (CE)—feeling—in the Accommodating quadrant. (I tend to jump in head first and love the sense of not knowing what comes next, which is why I feel most alive, most myself, when I’m traveling).

In my new spot on the grid, I read the directions and filled out the test with Lisa standing beside me. Funny thing is I ended up exactly where I had intuitively placed myself. According to my learning style, that’s completely normal. :)

Accommodating (doing and feeling - CE/AE) - The Accommodating learning style is 'hands-on', and relies on intuition rather than logic. These people use other people's analysis, and prefer to take a practical, experiential approach. They are attracted to new challenges and experiences, and to carrying out plans. They commonly act on 'gut' instinct rather than logical analysis. People with an Accommodating learning style will tend to rely on others for information than carry out their own analysis. This learning style is prevalent and useful in roles requiring action and initiative. People with an Accommodating learning style prefer to work in teams to complete tasks. They set targets and actively work in the field trying different ways to achieve an objective.