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Instinct vs Unconscious - What's the difference?

instinct | unconscious |

As nouns the difference between instinct and unconscious

is that instinct is a natural or inherent impulse or behaviour while unconscious is (psychology) the unconscious mind.

As adjectives the difference between instinct and unconscious

is that instinct is (archaic) imbued, charged ((with) something) while unconscious is not awake; having no awareness.

instinct

Noun

  • A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour.
  • Many animals fear fire by instinct .
  • * Shakespeare
  • By a divine instinct , men's minds mistrust / Ensuing dangers.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1921 , title= , author=Bertrand Russell , passage=In spite of these qualifications, the broad distinction between instinct and habit is undeniable. To take extreme cases, every animal at birth can take food by instinct, before it has had opportunity to learn; on the other hand, no one can ride a bicycle by instinct, though, after learning, the necessary movements become just as automatic as if they were instinctive.}}
  • An intuitive reaction not based on rational conscious thought.
  • an instinct''' for order; to be modest by '''instinct
    Debbie's instinct was to distrust John.

    Derived terms

    * instinctively * instinctive

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (archaic) Imbued, charged ((with) something).
  • * Milton
  • The chariot of paternal deity / Itself instinct with spirit, but convoyed / By four cherubic shapes.
  • * Brougham
  • a noble performance, instinct with sound principle
  • * 1928 , (HP Lovecraft), ‘The Call of Cthulhu’:
  • This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence, and squatted evilly on a rectangular block or pedestal covered with undecipherable characters.

    unconscious

    English

    (Unconscious mind)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Not awake; having no awareness.
  • She lay unconscious on the floor.
  • Without directed thought or awareness.
  • My sudden fright was an unconscious response.
  • (sports) engaged in skilled performance without conscious control.
  • * 1998 , Charles Rosen, The Cockroach Basketball League , page 144
  • Sam is unconscious , filling it, drilling it from every conceivable angle. Lem is awful and Cooper seems confused. Josh shoots too often.
  • * 1999 , Joseph Leininger, Terry Whalin, Lessons from the Pit: A Successful Veteran of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange , page 10
  • "I was unconscious ," the basketball player gushes. "It seemed like everything I threw up toward the basket went straight in."
  • * 2002 , Alexander Wolff, Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure , page 292
  • Someone who has reeled off a string of baskets will say, "I was unconscious," as if he were following the Zen injunction to be mindful while suspending thought.

    Synonyms

    * insentient, oblivious, out of it, out on one's feet, unaware * (skilled performance without conscious control) in the zone, on a roll

    Noun

    (singulare tantum)
  • (psychology) The unconscious mind