Aligned or Just Addicted? How to Tell If It’s Your Intuition or Your E

Aligned or Just Addicted? How to Tell If It’s Your Intuition or Your Ego

Is it a soul-led “yes” or just a dopamine hit in disguise? In the age of self-development and spiritual talk, it’s easy to confuse intuition with impulse—and ego with alignment. But knowing the difference can change everything, from how you make decisions to how you trust yourself. At Dandy, we’re exploring how to tune into your real inner voice (not the loudest one) and tell whether you’re truly aligned… or just chasing the next high.

By Dandy / Apr 30 2025

Save to Favourites

You know the feeling. You get a sudden urge to text someone you’ve been thinking about. Or you’re convinced you just know you’re meant to quit your job, move cities, launch a brand and live your best life. Maybe you feel an intuitive “pull” toward a decision… or is it just another well-disguised spiral?

In the age of manifestation culture, self-development podcasts and a million Instagram quotes about “trusting your gut,” the lines between intuition and ego are blurrier than ever. Add in some digital dopamine addiction and the influence of the algorithm, and it gets even harder to know what’s real, what’s rooted — and what’s just a panic-fuelled rush disguised as spiritual wisdom.

So how do you know if you’re actually aligned… or just chasing a hit?

Let’s untangle it.

What Even Is Intuition?

Intuition is often described as your inner knowing. It’s quiet, steady and rooted in a deep sense of truth. It’s that calm sense of “yes” or “no” that seems to come out of nowhere, without needing a spreadsheet, a pros-and-cons list or a pep talk from your flatmate.

It can show up as:

A gut feeling that something’s off (even when it looks perfect on paper)
A sense of ease or clarity around a big decision
A recurring thought or idea that gently sticks around

It’s not reactive, anxious or driven by fear. It’s often less flashy and more subtle than we expect.

What About the Ego?

The ego isn’t bad — it’s just loud. It’s the part of us that wants to be liked, seen, validated or in control. It’s the inner voice that says, “But what will people think?” or “You’re falling behind, do something fast!”

The ego loves urgency, comparison and external validation. It gets a kick out of instant gratification and thrives on achievement. It’s often fuelled by fear — of rejection, failure or not being enough.

Here’s where it gets tricky. The ego can pretend to be your intuition. It can dress itself up in spiritual language and convince you that a self-sabotaging decision is actually just “alignment.”

So, how do you tell the difference?

Title

SHOP

mind + spirit

BUTTER BRICK Solid Face and Body Cleanser

£14.00

Mindful Affirmations For Health & Wellbeing

£28.00

Productivity Planner

£28.00

The Five Minute Journal Fit Edition

£28.00

The Five Minute Journal

£27.00

Ritual Diffuser Oil - Refresh

£40.00

Ritual Diffuser Oil - Calm

£40.00

Ritual Oil Ceramic Diffuser - Almond White

£110.00

Aromatherapy Pillow - Marle Cashmere

£65.00

Aromatherapy Pillow - Natural Linen

£50.00

Love - Rose Quartz Healing Bracelet

£49.00

Peace - Moonstone Healing Bracelet

£49.00

Energy - Clear Quartz Healing Bracelet

£49.00

Calm - Aventurine Healing Bracelet

£49.00

Love Heart - Moonstone Healing Bracelet

£49.00

Title

FIND A

Pro / Wellness Space

NEAR YOU

DANDY DIRECTORY

TRENDING STORIES

Does the ‘Clean Girl Aesthetic’ Have a Dirty Side?

Beauty

Feb 03, 2025

Does the ‘Clean Girl Aesthetic’ Have a Dirty Side?

High-Powered Women & the Babygirl Fantasy

Culture

Jan 21, 2025

High-Powered Women & the Babygirl Fantasy

Nutrition

Jan 18, 2025

Why Carbs Aren’t the Enemy

Travel

Nov 20, 2024

Dandy Destinations: Manchester

Signs You’re Acting From Ego (Not Intuition)

It feels urgent or frantic
If the decision comes with a sense of “I have to act NOW or I’ll miss everything,” chances are your ego’s involved. Intuition doesn’t panic.

You’re seeking validation
If you find yourself asking ten people for advice or obsessively checking how others will react, it’s probably not intuition guiding you.

It’s emotionally charged
If you’re feeling angry, anxious or desperate when making a choice, it’s likely your nervous system talking, not your higher self.

You’ve done it before — and it didn’t end well
If you keep repeating the same patterns (texting the ex, ditching projects halfway through, impulse-buying solutions to long-term problems), it might be addiction to the hit, not alignment.

Signs You’re Aligned With Intuition

It feels grounded and calm
Even if it’s a big, bold decision, there’s a quiet confidence underneath. It doesn’t feel like a rush — more like a click.

You’re not afraid to sit with it
Intuition can wait. You don’t feel the need to act immediately or justify yourself to others.

Your body feels relaxed
Check your shoulders, jaw and stomach. Intuition often comes with a physical ease or a deep exhale.

It matches your values, not just your mood
It aligns with what matters to you in the long run, not just what feels good right now.

Why It’s So Easy to Confuse the Two

We live in a culture that rewards fast decisions, high output and external success. Add that to social media algorithms designed to keep us hooked, and it becomes really hard to tell if we’re acting from self-trust or self-doubt in disguise.

Sometimes, we want a decision to be intuition so badly that we convince ourselves it is. Especially if it comes with a rush of excitement or the hope of escaping discomfort.

But intuition doesn’t always feel exciting. Sometimes it asks you to pause, to stay, to wait. Sometimes it guides you towards the harder thing — the thing that stretches you, not just soothes you.

Dandy, Delivered : Unlock 15% Off

Subscibe to claim your exclusive discount

How to Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Still not sure which voice you’re listening to? Try this:

Pause before acting
Give yourself 24 hours before making the decision. If it’s truly intuitive, it will still feel right tomorrow. If it’s ego, it might feel less urgent.

Ask how your body feels
Sit with the decision and notice what happens in your body. Tightness and tension? Might be fear or ego. Calm spaciousness? Likely intuition.

Check your “why”
Are you acting to prove something? To get a reaction? To feel in control? Be honest with yourself. Ego is sneaky.

Journal it out
Write down what you’re feeling and thinking. Getting it out of your head and onto paper can reveal whether you’re chasing a high or following a deeper nudge.

When in Doubt, Do Nothing

If you’re truly unsure whether something is ego or intuition, the best move might be… no move.

That doesn’t mean passivity. It means giving yourself time to get quiet. To stop feeding the urgency machine. To reconnect with your body, your breath and your real self.

Sometimes, the most aligned thing you can do is wait until the answer lands with clarity.

The Dandy Takeaway

Intuition is subtle. Ego is noisy. One asks you to trust, the other demands attention. Learning to tell them apart takes time, practice and a whole lot of self-compassion.

You don’t need to get it right every time. You just need to stay curious about your own patterns and gently bring yourself back to centre when you get pulled off track.

So next time you feel the pull to make a bold move, ask yourself — am I grounded, or just triggered? Is this peace, or just relief? Is this alignment, or a well-dressed distraction?

And then… listen quietly. You probably already know