Better safe than sorry: that saying really hits home when you trust your gut and it proves right. Sometimes you skip a plan or avoid a situation simply because something feels off, only to realize later that it actually kept you safe.
People online have been sharing such moments where their instincts kicked in just in time. Whether it was dodging a dangerous accident or steering clear of someone who gave off the wrong vibe, these stories highlight how gut feelings can sometimes protect us in ways logic can’t.
#1
My husband took the kids trick or treating and I stayed home to hand out candy.
At the end of the night a young kid came to the door and I handed him candy. As he was walking off the porch I noticed a teenage boy standing on the stairs staring at me, and he started walking toward me.
Before I could think, I loudly said to him, "Hey hold on" as I looked back into the house and yelled "Ok, wait a minute!"
The teen stopped, looked at me and then turned and walked away. I quickly locked the door.
There was noone in the house, I just pretended to answer someone so that the teen didn't think I was alone.
About one month later the teen was arrested for r**ing and m**dering someone in our neighborhood. The feeling he gave off in those seconds of meeting can only be described as evil.
At the end of the night a young kid came to the door and I handed him candy. As he was walking off the porch I noticed a teenage boy standing on the stairs staring at me, and he started walking toward me.
Before I could think, I loudly said to him, "Hey hold on" as I looked back into the house and yelled "Ok, wait a minute!"
The teen stopped, looked at me and then turned and walked away. I quickly locked the door.
There was noone in the house, I just pretended to answer someone so that the teen didn't think I was alone.
About one month later the teen was arrested for r**ing and m**dering someone in our neighborhood. The feeling he gave off in those seconds of meeting can only be described as evil.
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75points
#2
Met this guy on Tinder and he asked if I fancied going for a walk on this nature trail near where he lived because it had a river and the flowers were blooming and all. I said no and we met for coffee in the city centre instead. He seemed nice enough, a little weird but my gut instinct was screaming at me to leave and never see him again. We never actually spoke after that date and I didn't think much of it after.
A few weeks later he m******d a jogger on the nature trail he suggested we go on. Apparently, when police raided his house, they found a list of "types" of women he wanted to k**l. As a huge overthinker, I always thought my intuition was me overthinking but after that I trust it with my life.
A few weeks later he m******d a jogger on the nature trail he suggested we go on. Apparently, when police raided his house, they found a list of "types" of women he wanted to k**l. As a huge overthinker, I always thought my intuition was me overthinking but after that I trust it with my life.
69points
#3
When I was 16, I was walking alone down a trail on my way home from school. It was still light out but about to get dark. I was walking down the trail when I heard some leaves crunching behind me, a quick glance back showed me a tall man with a hoodie on hiding his face walking in my direction. My brain immediately was like "this guy is going to attack you". I'm an overthinker and doubted myself, but grabbed my pepper spray out of the bottle holder on my backpack, slipped it up my sleeve and picked up the pace.
Look back again, he's picked up the pace and closed the distance between us in half. He's about 6 feet from me when I turn around and say "are you following me?" with my pepper spray ready up my sleeve. It felt like before I could even get that out, he lunged towards me and I shot the pepper spray straight into his eyes and ran as fast as I could.
Never doubted my gut feeling since.
Look back again, he's picked up the pace and closed the distance between us in half. He's about 6 feet from me when I turn around and say "are you following me?" with my pepper spray ready up my sleeve. It felt like before I could even get that out, he lunged towards me and I shot the pepper spray straight into his eyes and ran as fast as I could.
Never doubted my gut feeling since.
56points
In life, there are moments when listening to your instincts really pays off. Sometimes it’s about avoiding danger, other times it’s about seizing the right opportunity. Our survival instincts as humans are deeply ingrained, and often, they know what’s best before our minds catch up.
These posts online show just how powerful trusting your gut can be, not only in life-threatening situations but also in everyday decisions. And when it comes to running a business, those instincts can be the difference between failure and success.
#4
I'd asked for days off to see The Dark Knight in theaters. I had the seniority at my retail job to get the days off and asked 3 weeks in advance for the days. The scheduling manager hated me and didnt give me the days off. I'd really wanted to say f**k it and go anyway and just go to work on 4 hours or less of sleep. The say rolled around and my gut instinct told me to just go to bed and to see the movie the next week. Had I gone that night I would have been in the Aurora theater James Holmes had been in. I'd had 3 friends in the theater that all lived but multiple coworkers lost friends or family. My dad heard the news break when it happened (he worked nights out of his truck and heard it on the radio) and called my mom frantic to check I was in bed and hadn't gone to the theater since he knew I loved batman and wouldn't shut up about the movie. I'm glad I went to bed. I saw the movie when it was released to DVD. I couldn't bring myself to see it in a theater.
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53points
#5
Oh my god. There was this guy trying to get close to me. He was nice, attractive, we had friends in common.
I can't say what it was. But I just didn't want to be around him. One of my friends told me I should just be nice to his cause his girlfriend just died.
Died?
Died. And weeks later he was found to have m******d her.
I can't say what it was. But I just didn't want to be around him. One of my friends told me I should just be nice to his cause his girlfriend just died.
Died?
Died. And weeks later he was found to have m******d her.
50points
#6
I was “friends” with this guy, let’s call him rob. Rob was a grade above me and always tried to be super cool to me but he always made it weird. Every time he came by my stomach would turn, then one day I was walking home alone with earbuds in just listening to a podcast. When all of a sudden he’s right next to me on his bike. I say hello and try and be polite but my stomach turned into a huge knot and told me to run. I made small talk and tried to make an excuse to get rid of him.
While we were talking rob starting saying some weird things, asking if I was still with my boyfriend and why I was with a guy like him. I just answer them and start walking faster. Well so did he then he said something that made know i was in trouble. He said “wow your thighs are amazing. I bet those would feel amazing around me face, though I don’t think your arms could push me off if I tried to do that.”
I was terrified and I told him to leave me alone and started to reach for my phone. He took it out of my hands and wrapped his arms around me and grabbed my a*s. He told me to calm down and stop or I’ll get hurt. Well we were still on a busy Main Street so I struggled and go free and I used my “amazing thighs” to run straight for him and use all my strength to kick him in the “family bits.” Little did he know I was on the football team (aka soccer) and I got some power behind me. He fell so hard on his face breaking a couple of teeth, I called the police and a friend to meet me. The police arrived and medics, nothing happened to me since tons of drivers saw my struggle and pulled over while I was calling the police.
He got expelled and arrested and can now no longer have children according to the officer.
Always listen to your gut and always walk home with someone you trust.
While we were talking rob starting saying some weird things, asking if I was still with my boyfriend and why I was with a guy like him. I just answer them and start walking faster. Well so did he then he said something that made know i was in trouble. He said “wow your thighs are amazing. I bet those would feel amazing around me face, though I don’t think your arms could push me off if I tried to do that.”
I was terrified and I told him to leave me alone and started to reach for my phone. He took it out of my hands and wrapped his arms around me and grabbed my a*s. He told me to calm down and stop or I’ll get hurt. Well we were still on a busy Main Street so I struggled and go free and I used my “amazing thighs” to run straight for him and use all my strength to kick him in the “family bits.” Little did he know I was on the football team (aka soccer) and I got some power behind me. He fell so hard on his face breaking a couple of teeth, I called the police and a friend to meet me. The police arrived and medics, nothing happened to me since tons of drivers saw my struggle and pulled over while I was calling the police.
He got expelled and arrested and can now no longer have children according to the officer.
Always listen to your gut and always walk home with someone you trust.
47points
To understand this better, we spoke with Ankita Chopra, the founder of Ankita’s Fashion Hub, a home-based business specializing in affordable kids’ gifts and party favors.
Ankita’s journey shows how listening to her inner voice guided her through both personal and professional challenges. What started as a passion project eventually grew into something that supported her family during difficult times, all because she chose to trust her gut.
#7
I worked at a gas station in college and a guy in his 50's used to come in every day for lottery tickets. He flirted with the staff and most of them liked him...but I would feel nauseated, dizzy and panicked when he came in. I used to find a reason to escape to the back room when he came in. He drove a cream colored vw van with orange striped curtains and I would book it when I saw the van pull in.
He didn't show up for a few days....and we saw him on the news after he was arrested for abducting and r**ing a child.
He didn't show up for a few days....and we saw him on the news after he was arrested for abducting and r**ing a child.
44points
#8
I was getting gas with my mom on a sunny Saturday afternoon. An old, beat up white car flew into the parking lot, going way too fast, and screeched into a parking spot in front of the store. Something immediately just felt “off.” I turned to my mom and said “get in the car” and we left immediately without pumping the gas we’d paid for. We found out later that the man in the white car robbed the little store of the gas station at gun point, k**ling the cashier and one patron before cops were able to apprehend him.
My mom is usually quite argumentative/slow to catch on to subtle hints, but she said afterward that whatever look I had in my eyes made her comply immediately, no questions asked.
My mom is usually quite argumentative/slow to catch on to subtle hints, but she said afterward that whatever look I had in my eyes made her comply immediately, no questions asked.
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41points
#9
I pulled up to the corner of Audubon Blvd. and Fountainbleau Drive, a four-way stop. I'm reading towards the river, and I look to my left and right, after coming to a full stop, and see no one. But, instead of going, I like almost heard a voice in my head say, "Stop and take a drink of your drink." I didn't hear a voice, but I felt this oddly strong prompting in my mind's inner dialogue to take a drink of my drink. As I'm reaching down to grab it, a car flies through that intersection going as fast as you possibly could on that street. It would've crashed right into me on my side, and likely k**led me or F-ed me and my toddler daughter in the car seat behind me up for good.
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40points
“I remember when I had just become a mother, I decided to start my home business,” Ankita recalls. “It didn’t work out the way I expected. Managing a newborn while trying to grow a business was overwhelming. People around me kept suggesting that I quit, and eventually, I did.” The pause felt like a setback at the time, but as Ankita explains, it was also the turning point that allowed her instincts to lead her back stronger.
#10
In college, I dated this guy I met through Tinder. Didn’t take long for him to schmooze me into being his girlfriend. He was charming, romantic and sweet so I gave it a shot.
A month in, my GUT was telling me that he wasn’t genuine with his words. I knew he had told a few other women the “L” word, and he would say sweet nothings like I’m the best woman on the planet, etc etc. but something was telling me he had said it to several other girls before, so it almost felt empty to me. So I broke it off with him.
Fast forward 5 years, I found out the person that was blackmailing me nudes over text was him. (Took 3 years for me to find out it was him doing it.) He’s now in prison for extortion with sexual motivation, and he had over 50 victims.
Creeps me out.
A month in, my GUT was telling me that he wasn’t genuine with his words. I knew he had told a few other women the “L” word, and he would say sweet nothings like I’m the best woman on the planet, etc etc. but something was telling me he had said it to several other girls before, so it almost felt empty to me. So I broke it off with him.
Fast forward 5 years, I found out the person that was blackmailing me nudes over text was him. (Took 3 years for me to find out it was him doing it.) He’s now in prison for extortion with sexual motivation, and he had over 50 victims.
Creeps me out.
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36points
#11
When I was 34 weeks pregnant with twins, I had a normal OB appointment, where the OB weighed me, measured my girth etc and said babies were growing. I had had a worried feeling about Baby B my entire pregnancy, and told the doc I wanted an ultrasound to make sure he was growing. Doc said everything is fine, but he always listens to a mother's intuition and I could go to maternal fetal medicine and have an ultrasound, he was going to lunch. I went to MFM, and saw that Baby A had grown a pound and a half since the last US but Baby B had only grown 2 oz. Needless to say, that ultrasound saved my babies' lives. I had a C-section for absent diastolic flow and IUGR and my twins are happy health 6 year olds now. I feel so lucky that I, and my doctor, trusted my gut.
36points
#12
When I was around 10 years old I was walking home from GEMS. One of the church dads offered to give me a ride home. But he was a little off. Tall, gumpy, and just gave me a gross vibe. I said no, and continued home. Fast forward 2 months and his family isn't in church. Turns out he was arrested and sent to prison for the r**e and m**der of a 12 year old special needs girl. He picked her up in his apartment complex as she was walking and he lured her in by saying he was taking her to a pool party.
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34points
“My husband was earning well, so we didn’t really need the money. But something inside me told me to give the business another shot. I ignored the doubts and opinions, and I started again. This time, I worked harder, smarter, and kept my focus. Slowly but surely, my business started to take off.” Listening to that inner voice turned out to be one of the best decisions she ever made.
#13
When I was 14yo we had the same youth pastor at church for years. I didn’t like him. He was weird, kinda touchy feely and could be physically oddly aggressive during games, like snowball fights, etc. I told my mom he was kind of “touchy feely” and I didn’t really like him. She dismissed it as a misunderstanding. A couple years later it blew up that he was sleeping with a 17 year old girl in the youth group and had been for a year. My intuition was spot on.
34points
#14
I was coming home from having a drink with my best friend at a bar in the hip midtown area. Made it to my front porch and started to unlock my storm door. Something told me to turn around and look behind me (and I’ve never had that feeling before while going into my house.) So I did and noticed there was a car that had quietly pulled up in front of my neighbors' house. A man wearing a bandana and holding a gun jumped out of it and charged at me. I managed to get the second door unlocked and moved inside and locked it behind me. It was terrifying. Don’t know what told me to turn around, but I’m glad I did.
33points
#15
I was about 11, and this neighbourhood man started kind of hanging around my friends and me sometimes. He was friendly and would buy us junk food from 7-11. My little friend crowd was mostly boys and it wasn't unusual for me to be the only girl with them. This man started inviting them over for snacks, would give them money for 7-11, etc, and they thought he was the greatest thing. I got a creepy feel and didn't like how he seemed to look at me more than the boys, so I never went to his house.
Creep started bringing gifts to my house for me until my mom answered the door one day and told him to hit the road and never come back. The next we heard of him was in the newspaper because he was serving time for "interfering with a minor". He sent his victim a Valentine's card from there.
I'm grown up now and I really hope that piece of s**t is long dead. I escaped him ruining my childhood, but some other little girl didn't. I think about that sometimes.
Creep started bringing gifts to my house for me until my mom answered the door one day and told him to hit the road and never come back. The next we heard of him was in the newspaper because he was serving time for "interfering with a minor". He sent his victim a Valentine's card from there.
I'm grown up now and I really hope that piece of s**t is long dead. I escaped him ruining my childhood, but some other little girl didn't. I think about that sometimes.
33points
“Within six months, I had saved a decent amount. And in the seventh month, my husband unexpectedly lost his job. But we were prepared. My income kept us afloat for the next three to four months until he got back on his feet.” That one decision, to trust her gut and restart her business, ended up providing stability for her entire family during a time of crisis.
#16
When I was a teen my mom was driving me out to work one morning and something didn't feel right. I felt like I was in a dream or something, I didn't know why, but I felt like something was going to happen. I told my mom this and she believed me, I've always had a strong intuitive sense, but since I wasn't sure what was going to happen yet we just went on and she told me to let her know if I figured it out.
When we got to the turn in for my job, a car came crashing into us from behind. It was a country back road and they were speeding, our car went flying forward. It was a miracle we were okay, but luckily we weren't hurt, just in shock and sore from being thrown forward. I remember as the other car hit us, that dream state broke and everything felt super real all of a sudden.
My boss saw the accident and came down to check on us and call 911 and everything. After the paramedics cleared us my mom told him I knew something was going to happen to me, and he got super serious and said hey, if you EVER feel that way again, or have any intuition or anxiety, stop and call me and tell me you're not coming to work because you had another bad feeling. I will understand no questions asked. If you're driving, pull over until that feeling passes. Call it God or guardian angels, call it psychic, call it science, call it whatever you want, but always take it seriously.
When we got to the turn in for my job, a car came crashing into us from behind. It was a country back road and they were speeding, our car went flying forward. It was a miracle we were okay, but luckily we weren't hurt, just in shock and sore from being thrown forward. I remember as the other car hit us, that dream state broke and everything felt super real all of a sudden.
My boss saw the accident and came down to check on us and call 911 and everything. After the paramedics cleared us my mom told him I knew something was going to happen to me, and he got super serious and said hey, if you EVER feel that way again, or have any intuition or anxiety, stop and call me and tell me you're not coming to work because you had another bad feeling. I will understand no questions asked. If you're driving, pull over until that feeling passes. Call it God or guardian angels, call it psychic, call it science, call it whatever you want, but always take it seriously.
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30points
#17
Walking dog on a quiet lane in a village near where I live, turn round see a man walking up behind me, about 100ft away, quite quickly, so I step off the path a little way so he can pass me and muzzle my large dog as he can be aggressive.
When I look at him again he's staring at me as he walks up, dog is bristling. So I put a bit more distance between me/dog and the path, and remove his muzzle.
Once the guy saw me hook the muzzle onto my belt he immediately turned around and walked off the way he came.
When I look at him again he's staring at me as he walks up, dog is bristling. So I put a bit more distance between me/dog and the path, and remove his muzzle.
Once the guy saw me hook the muzzle onto my belt he immediately turned around and walked off the way he came.
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29points
#18
Since March, I have been living at my boyfriend’s house in a typical, quiet, suburban neighborhood. We’ve spent every day together and our relationship is extremely pleasant, so my mom was concerned when I texted her last Monday and asked if I could sleep at her house that night (she lives about 15 mins from him).
My boyfriend kept asking if I was mad at him, if I needed space, etc. I told him that I just had this weird feeling that I should sleep at my parents’ house, and I would go for my morning jog around there instead (I jog about 3 miles each morning around his neighborhood). When I got to my mom’s, I had to keep explaining that we were truly OK and I had a gut feeling that I should hang with her and watch a bunch of movies.
The next morning, I ran through my mom’s neighborhood and came back to a bunch of texts from my boyfriend saying that someone was m******d on his block and the body was found around 8 AM, but had been there since midnight. I always jog super early, and the body was directly on a street that I run through, so I just know I would’ve been the first to find him and would not have handled it well.
My boyfriend kept asking if I was mad at him, if I needed space, etc. I told him that I just had this weird feeling that I should sleep at my parents’ house, and I would go for my morning jog around there instead (I jog about 3 miles each morning around his neighborhood). When I got to my mom’s, I had to keep explaining that we were truly OK and I had a gut feeling that I should hang with her and watch a bunch of movies.
The next morning, I ran through my mom’s neighborhood and came back to a bunch of texts from my boyfriend saying that someone was m******d on his block and the body was found around 8 AM, but had been there since midnight. I always jog super early, and the body was directly on a street that I run through, so I just know I would’ve been the first to find him and would not have handled it well.
29points
Ankita’s instincts didn’t just help her in life, but also in business. “Once, a supplier contacted me out of the blue, praising my work and offering to supply products for half the cost. On the surface, it sounded like a dream deal. But something about it felt off.” Her instincts were telling her to be cautious, and she decided not to move forward.
#19
I was at a party my freshman year of college. Wasn't into drinking yet, so I was sober. My friends around me were getting very, very, VERY drunk. I got a few empty Solo cups to fill them with water from the bathroom. As I was handing out water to my friends, I heard a guy say to me "you're Miss Responsibility, aren't you?"
I looked at him and I was terrified of him all at once. I dismissed it because of the extreme emotional reaction. My friend started dating him.
She then later told me that he took her virginity by pinning her down when she was very drunk and r***d her.
I now listen to those extreme emotional reactions.
I looked at him and I was terrified of him all at once. I dismissed it because of the extreme emotional reaction. My friend started dating him.
She then later told me that he took her virginity by pinning her down when she was very drunk and r***d her.
I now listen to those extreme emotional reactions.
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27points
#20
I was seven years old. It was about 4:00pm — I was home from school, but my father had yet to get back from work. I was upstairs in my room playing Crash Bandicoot, and my alcoholic mother was downstairs, sprawled out on the couch with a bottle of Bacardi in her hand, and I knew she’d soon start the daily process of hiding her bottles, blitzing her mouth with mouthwash, drinking a coffee to further cover her breath, etc.
Usually I’d just stay in my room until my dad got home and called me to dinner, but that day, I felt a sudden urge to go check on my mother to see if everything was okay. I crept downstairs, and sure enough, she was sprawled out on the sofa with a cigarette in one hand and the Bacardi in the other.
I walked down the hall to the kitchen and as soon as I stepped into the room, the smell of gas hit me. I didn’t know what the smell was at the time, but I somehow knew it was bad, so I ran back to my mom in the lounge and told her we needed to go out the front of the house because there was a poisonous smell in the air.
In her half-conscious stupor, she let me lead her by the hand out the front door, and when we were outside, she asked me to repeat what I’d said. I told her, there was a poisonous smell in the kitchen.
I think she sort of sobered up quite quickly when she realized what had happened — she’d left the gas on on the stove. The kitchen, and half the hallway, was filled with gas. She threw down her cigarette and stomped it out, dusted herself off, handed me the Bacardi, and told me to stay outside. She went in, turned the gas off, and opened all the windows.
My dad arrived home as all this was happening, and he saw me stood outside, holding the Bacardi bottle. He was completely perplexed, as he thought she’d managed to kick the habit after a successful detox course six months earlier. I never told him because she threatened me with stuff about ‘mommy leaving’ if I did.
After that, she left anyway, because they got divorced and my dad got custody of me.
TL;DR: alcoholic mom almost blew up the house with a cigarette + stove gas extravaganza.
Usually I’d just stay in my room until my dad got home and called me to dinner, but that day, I felt a sudden urge to go check on my mother to see if everything was okay. I crept downstairs, and sure enough, she was sprawled out on the sofa with a cigarette in one hand and the Bacardi in the other.
I walked down the hall to the kitchen and as soon as I stepped into the room, the smell of gas hit me. I didn’t know what the smell was at the time, but I somehow knew it was bad, so I ran back to my mom in the lounge and told her we needed to go out the front of the house because there was a poisonous smell in the air.
In her half-conscious stupor, she let me lead her by the hand out the front door, and when we were outside, she asked me to repeat what I’d said. I told her, there was a poisonous smell in the kitchen.
I think she sort of sobered up quite quickly when she realized what had happened — she’d left the gas on on the stove. The kitchen, and half the hallway, was filled with gas. She threw down her cigarette and stomped it out, dusted herself off, handed me the Bacardi, and told me to stay outside. She went in, turned the gas off, and opened all the windows.
My dad arrived home as all this was happening, and he saw me stood outside, holding the Bacardi bottle. He was completely perplexed, as he thought she’d managed to kick the habit after a successful detox course six months earlier. I never told him because she threatened me with stuff about ‘mommy leaving’ if I did.
After that, she left anyway, because they got divorced and my dad got custody of me.
TL;DR: alcoholic mom almost blew up the house with a cigarette + stove gas extravaganza.
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27points