What does follow your nose mean?

"Follow your nose" is an idiom that means to go where your instincts or intuition lead you. It implies trusting your gut feeling and following a path that feels natural and right to you, even if it's not the most obvious or logical choice.

Here's a breakdown:

* Instinct: Your natural, inborn way of reacting or behaving.

* Intuition: A sudden feeling or perception that something is true even without conscious reasoning.

* Gut feeling: A strong feeling or impression about something, usually based on intuition.

Examples:

* "I'm not sure what to do next, but I think I should just follow my nose and see where it takes me."

* "He followed his nose to the best bakery in town, even though he didn't have a map."

* "Sometimes, the best decisions are the ones you make by following your nose."

Origin:

The phrase is believed to have originated from the idea of following a scent, like a dog using its nose to track something. Over time, it came to represent a more figurative sense of following one's internal guidance.

Key takeaway: "Follow your nose" means to trust your gut feeling and go with the flow, even if it's not a well-defined plan. It suggests that sometimes, the best path is the one that feels most natural to you.