
Some quotes still resonate decades after they were uttered because they deal with ideas that transcend generations. One such statement was made by the former British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who once said, “I would rather trust a woman’s instinct than a man’s reason”. Although the quote is short and simple, it has remained relevant because it spurs conversations about intuition, emotional intelligence, decision-making and the historical treatment of women’s views in society.
The quote may surprise you at first glance, especially considering the era in which Baldwin lived and reigned. Politics in the early twentieth century was a male-dominated enterprise, and public leadership was associated with logic, authority and rational decision-making. Yet Baldwin’s statement seems to recognise something else, the value of instinct, perception and emotional understanding.