“The very essence of instinct is that it's followed independently of reason.”

“The essence of independence has been to think and act according to standards from within, not without: to follow one's own path, not that of the crowd.”

“The desire to get married is a basic and primal instinct in women. It's followed by another basic and primal instinct: the desire to be single again.”

“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”

“Follow your instincts.”

“When I learned about this, I was told that it was “instinct.” (“Instinct” continues to be the explanation of choice whenever animal behavior implies too much intelligence.) Instinct, though, wouldn’t go very far in explaining how pigeons use human transportation routes to navigate. Pigeons follow highways and take particular exits, likely following many of the same landmarks as the humans driving below.”