Do you listen to your head or your heart when contemplating important decisions? When it comes to making decisions, are these two features of your body one-and-the-same, or are they distinct decision-making factories? I personally believe the latter. If we are to entertain the idea that they are separate, how does one go about deciding which to give credence to when it comes to making the important choices in our lives? Each “factory” has it's own strengths and weaknesses. Each can shine independently or complement the other when utilised properly. Thus, perhaps a balanced approach is best.

The head generally uses logic, reason and objectivity when making decisions. If there is a problem that needs to be dealt with, emotion and sympathy are avoided. The advantages of allowing one's head to make decisions is that the best outcome to address the problem is usually arrived at sooner and emotions do not interfere when searching for a solution. Disadvantages include the fact that relationships will probably suffer and the concept of morality will interfere with the outcome.

The heart generally uses compassion, empathy and subjectivity when making decisions. It creates a more personal relationship between the problem and the people involved. Empathy, sympathy and emotion are considered important factors when addressing a problem and cannot be suppressed. The advantages of utilising one's heart to make decisions is that relationships will probably prosper and the most ethical outcome will prevail. Disadvantages of this approach include the fact that logic and reason will likely suffer at the expense of fairness and equality.

How do you resolve the internal struggle that results from choosing between what is right and what is best? When do you know when to listen to your head and when to listen to your heart?

I have spent the last 40 years problem solving for a living and almost every time i used my heart instead of my head it has turned out bad. The old saying : No good deed goes unpunished is reality.

I think they have to be combined through life.

We've all had to go against out hearts, when another route makes more practicle sense, and we've all ignored practicle sense, to follow our hearts.

Originally posted by Dark Ghost
Do you listen to your head or your heart when contemplating important decisions? When it comes to making decisions, are these two features of your body one-and-the-same, or are they distinct decision-making factories?

We get this concept of the heart being a part of a person that can think from religions and poetry. Truth is, when you take the heart say from the bible and look at the translations in the original text, they mean mind or brain.

There is no such thing as the "heart" except that the heart is the muscle that pumps blood through your body. There is no heart that you think with. You make all decisions even the ones that involve emotion, with your brain.

In poetry, the idea of the heart is made up to convey the notion of making decisions with emotions and not only with intellectual thinking - but even the religious texts warns against thinking with emotions. Emotions can cloud your judgment. So too can only thinking with intellectual reasoning. The best thinking is done using a balance of the two, thinking with intellectual reasoning and incorporating emotions. Depending on the subject, sometimes the emotional reasoning is more sound and sometimes the intellectual reasoning is more sound.

How do you resolve the internal struggle that results from choosing between what is right and what is best? When do you know when to listen to your head and when to listen to your heart?

As I said, you cannot make that distinction as if they are two different entities, they are not, it's only the one brain or mind. What you mean to ask is which logic should you follow, your emotional logic or your intellectual logic. You have to use each one to guide the other and vice versa. This may require examining the subject many times in different ways before you can reach a conclusion you feel comfortable with - and then, it's still going to be up to scrutiny. You just have to do your best.

Perhaps I should have made this clearer in the OP: I am aware of the physical functions of the heart and brain, but I am attempting to explore the metaphysical properties of decision-making when comparing the Intellectual (the mind) and the Emotive (the heart).

For those confused, here are some definitions:

A, Heart (physical) - a muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system, which pumps blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions.

B. Heart (metaphysical) - a symbol used to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral core of a human being. Once believed to be the seat of the human soul, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized depictions of hearts are used as symbols representing love.

Heart, then head, then heart. I try to make conscious decisions. The heart usually starts the conversation, I look at the consequences of the decision, what is the cost of each side of the choice, what are the benefits, can I accept the cost if it all goes south and will I? Then I close my eyes and leap off that cliff!! Following your heart is where all the fun is, wrong or right.

I have a good example of this.

My coworkers are hooked to the mainstream soap opera so they naturally believe 9/11 was carried out by a couple of muslim guys and all the rest of it.

My perception is that there was a lot more to it than that, and that a number of different agencies were involved to make something like 9/11 possible.

So when the conversation around the table goes into 9/11, I have a choice of not saying anything or to tell people what I really think.

I told people what I really felt about 9/11 because it was the right thing to do. I knew I would get a lot of ridiculing because of it, but I still did it. Once they started doing their predictive ridicule stuff, I just smiled it off because I knew it would happen. And I felt great for having the courage to speak my mind.

So for me... heart all the way. Courage. Self respect.

In my understanding, It is of Vital importance that you must start from the heart. If any one practices meditation, studies chakra's, kabbalah, and esoteric things for that matter. It is understood that before you could reach the chakra's located where the head is. You must open the heart before you can reach those.

Then I would say that, to start from the heart first then express your understanding with imagination through the head. As someone replied before me, it is necessary that you use both of the head and the heart. Using the heart as the ground support and venting it up towards the head. Then you will have a logically heartfelt approach, which is stronger then pure cold logic.

The softest thing can overcome the hardest; formless, it can enter where there are no gaps or space.
-Lao Tzu