A Hunch Is a Direction, Not a Conclusion
A hunch is a feeling that something is off, or that one explanation is right, often built from patterns you can't name yet. It's useful, because it tells you where to look. But a hunch isn't evidence. A clue is something you can point to, describe, and show to someone else.
Turn Hunches Into Clues
- Say the hunch out loud, then ask: what exactly am I noticing that makes me feel this?
- Write down one observation that supports it and one that doesn't.
- Decide what you'd expect to see if the hunch were wrong, then go and look for it.
Follow the Feeling, Then Check It
Detectives don't ignore instinct. They treat it as a lead to test, not an answer to defend.
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