Cultivating Insight

Where they sought a molecular mechanism, she sought a conceptual structure supported and made real by the coherence of its inferences and its correlation with function.

She had developed a unique virtuosity at integrating disparate clues into a coherent and meaningful whole. Her ability to identify those clues that were worth following, her instinct for what was important, grew steadily.

Her belief is that the mind functions like a computer--processing and integrating data far more complex than we can possibly be conscious of. Those who learn to cultivate insight learn also to respect its mysterious workings. They come to know trust and value it.

--A Feeling for the Organism by Evelyn Fox Keller