UNIT 11
Smelling a rat
03-09-2024
In Unit 11 we demonstrate the ability of the individual with an intuitive mindset to smell a rat at the hand of Christopher Hitchens’ self-representations in The Four Horsemen.
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION
Jung says: “The intuitive type, which is very little understood, has a very important function because he goes by hunches, he sees around corners, he smells a rat a mile away.” (C.G. Jung Speaking, 1980, p. 320) Smelling a rat refers to the intuition that something is not as it appears to be ― that something is wrong or someone is dishonest. Marie-Louise van Franz mentions in a lecture: “In mythology, intuition is very often represented by the nose. One says: ‘I smell a rat’, that is, my intuition tells me that there is something wrong. I don’t know quite what, but I can smell it! Then three weeks later the rat leaps out of its hole and one says: ‘Oh, I smelt it, I had a hunch there was something in the air!’ (Lectures on Jung’s Typology, 1971, p.42) This ability relates among other things to the way in which the intuitive perceives accidental facts.
Viewed in broader perspective, intuition sees around corners. Jung augments on this aspect by saying: “Intuition is a function by which you see round corners, which you really cannot do…” (CW 18, par. 25) Put differently, the individual with an intuition mindset often has clear perceptions on matters where facts or information are inadequate.
DEMONSTRATION OF SMELLING A RAT IN INTUITION
Please study the selection of relevant self-representations
We encourage you to first study the relevant section as a whole before proceeding to investigate a specific extract in order to appreciate the intuitive Hitchens’ ability to smell a rat.
DEMONSTRATIONS
01
The Four Horsemen
Extract
Book: pp. 51-2 [From the last par. on p. 51: “This is a point I think we should return to: this notion of the arrogance of science … there is no discourse that enforces humility more rigorously than science…” to the end of the first par. on p. 52: “…false modesty … But I do know what you mean.”]
Hour 1 of 2
URL: 00:13:45 to 00:14:28 timer
Hitchens:
“Well, actually a lot of academics come out with that kind of false modesty. But I do know what you mean.”
Book: p. 52
Hour 1 of 2
URL: 00:14:23 timer
Analytic commentary
Harris presents his view of scientists as humble and respectful of the bounds of their range of expertise by saying: “…there is no discourse that enforces humility more rigorously than science. Scientists in my experience are the first people to say they don’t know.” Harris augments by saying: “This is the mode of discourse in which we’re most candid about the scope of our ignorance.” Smelling rats in general or rats with this specific type of scent is not a new experience for Hitchens ― he is the sort of individual who forces rats to leap out of their holes.
Hitchens reacts to Harris’ view as follows: “Well, actually, a lot of academics come out with that kind of false modesty. But I do know what you mean.”
02
The Four Horsemen
Extract
Book: pp. 90-1 [From the third par. on p. 90: “I’m afraid to say that I think that cognitive dissonance is probably necessary for everyday survival.” … to the end of the phrase in the third par. on p. 91 “…but he can’t manage his life by saying he is or he isn’t.”]
Hour 2 of 2
URL: 00:08:04 to 00:09:37 timer
Hitchens:
“I’m afraid to say that I think that cognitive dissonance is probably necessary for everyday survival. Everyone does it a bit.”
Book: p. 90
Hour 2 of 2
URL: 00:08:04 timer
Analytic commentary
The backdrop to this example is Hitchens’ rational friends’ intolerance of cognitive dissonance. In this instance, as in the above-mentioned example of the academics, Hitchens intuits that the practice of “cognitive dissonance is probably necessary for everyday survival” and he adds: “Everyone does it a bit”. Hitchens responds by using an example ― pointing to an accidental fact ― of someone who is a member of Move-On.org. They are a group who are resentful of the US government but who continue to pay taxes, and send their children to public schools ― an example of cognitive dissonance. He goes further to illustrate his intuitive awareness of “All kinds of things like this” with reference to: “… people who say, ‘Well, I shouldn’t really prefer one child to another, or one parent to another, but I do. I’m just not going to act as if I do.’” His ability to see beyond the bounds of reason enables him to have a more authentic view on this problem of cognitive dissonance.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY
In this unit we have demonstrated the intuitive Hitchens’ ability to see around corners or smell a rat ― to suspect that something is not quite as it appears to be. These examples serve to illustrate Jung’s view that the intuitive type has “a very important function.”