We like to think of "gut feeling" as a sort of 6th sense. That might be good shorthand in conversation, but it's not quite so mystical. Gut feeling is just a way of articulating conceptually the innate ability of human beings to rapidly interpolate learned & verified experience with cognitive reasoning. One should always rely on his/her gut feeling - it's the most important decision making tool one possesses, in my estimation.

Trust it? Never. Still, when reason fails to provide any clarity on the best course of action, then one has little choice but to go with one's "gut instinct."

Sometimes it works out. Sometimes not.

A gut feeling may not be entirely devoid of facts. I've read that the gut has a brain-like quality to it that's independent of the rest of the nervous system and may have something to do with our fight-or-flight response and gives us an uneasy feeling in suspicious situations. I haven't seen anything on this topic in a while, so I don't know whether further research has been done or not. Regardless, I think it's wise to pay attention to gut feelings, though perhaps not to trust it 100%.

I listen with my gut but I look for a reason or reasons to back my reaction up. Respond rather than react. I think I read that somewhere.

Gut instinct? Some say it is the result of unquantifiable and unexplainable analysis of a situation or problem based on a lifetime of experience.

Same here... I don't always listen to my gut, but it tends to be right. Could it be that we don't listen for thoughts that how could it be right? Why do we not trust our instincts?

Read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker.

We as women are often "groomed" from the time we're young to not be "rude" and be "ladylike".
Even if you(global) consider yourself street savvy, that book could be a lifesaver.

Our subconscious can pick up on signals that we may not be ready nor have the time to process. I've lost count of the times I wished I'd followed my first reaction and "splained away" something that felt hinky, only to regret in spades later.

Definitely . Felt sick to my stomach when trump was inaugurated. Knew it was bad news coming. When I meet someone I either know this is going to go somewhere or I have a feeling its just in the moment. Jobs too. Change of supervisor always tells me this company is going down.

not as often as I should have; and I've paid for it.

Sorry I left out when I would trust my gut instinct. I use it when I do not know how to come to a rational/reasoned decision or the situation/problem is complex and there is a missing element or something about the situation creates unexplainable anxiety.

It seems to me that we need a combination of both for the following reasons 1. Just as it is possible to have the wrong thoughts it is also possible to have the wrong feelings. 2.For example, some people feel good about pulling the wings off butterflies.Gut instincts are not be to ignored unless you conceive of yourself as a machine...

I follow my gut when my rational brain is not helping in making a decision.

i think you should always trust it

I am a highly intuitive person, i seem to be able to read people very well, I detect deception or falseness almost instantly and I also detect honesty and openness equally as well. I do this on a near unconscious level, I suspect we all process this ability but, many ignore it.
I am a very aware person this maybe why I am better than most people at this or it could be related to having worked large potentially dangerous animals for most of my life(it has taught me to pay attention to the little subtle changes in body language), I am not really sure which it is. If those alarm bell start ringing(not literal) my defences go up.

Trusting ones instincts can be and always will be very important for humans. Richard Dawkins goes into this quite thoroughly. If primitive man saw a rustling in the Bush it could be the wind or a loin. The fellow that ran was more likely to survive.
As a correctional officer for 15 years in maximum security prisons following my instinct likely saved my life.

This being said, it is important to understand when and more importantly why we feel compelled to follow our instincts. Most times when we have "gut" feelings it is simply due to our evolutionary baggage and has nothing to do with what actually is rational. So I constantly evaluate what instinct I have in order to determine its origin.
If the instinct is justified I run away from the loin, if I'm in a zoo I take a picture.

What a coinkydink! I just got a fortune cookie tonight that said "Never ignore your gut, but never think that it's enough." That's sorta how I roll.

Always...

Recommended documentary: InnSaei - The Power of Intuition
(It's not as crunchy as it sounds... and it's currently on Netflix.)

Always trusted my gut or the little voice in the ear. It's never been wrong, it's very intuitive, a form of extreme logic.

When ever I have not trusted it, it has always kicks me into the butt. It's never been wrong for 30 years of world event predictions from the writing on the wall. The vast majority have been pre program to follow the script from their faceless master's.

I only consult my gut on matters of food, it is a fan of food.

Always. My Spidey senses tingle for a reason. And if they were wrong, no big deal. When people say their gut, they mean their brain. Everything we think about comes from the brain. Like when people say what does your heart say, they mean it figuratively, obviously. So process what you feel in your gut with everything around you.

For me, that time is all the time- nothing without instinct-intuition-gut and some thoughtfulness..

As it happens I'm in the middle of an important decision, quite possibly life changing, my "gut" says one thing my brain tells me something else entirely. I have 24 hours to make a decision. Ironically my "gut" feeling is that my brain is probably going to win this one. It's got to be a byproduct of our evolution. Quite possibly questioning ourselves has been an essential part of our survival.