# Ex-CIA Agent Reveals Why Your Gut Instinct Is Wrong 87% of the Time

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/ex-cia-agent-reveals-why-your-gut-instinct-is-wrong-87-of-the-time
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985/ex-cia-agent-reveals-why-your-gut-instinct-is-wrong-87-of-the-time.md
Podcast: [First Principles](https://stenobird.com/podcast/first-principles-7708985)
Published: 2026-09-12T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN9962900942.mp3?updated=1776258508
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/PODAGEN9962900942.mp3?updated=1776258508
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/first-principles-7708985/episodes/ex-cia-agent-reveals-why-your-gut-instinct-is-wrong-87-of-the-time
Duration seconds: 1947

## Resource

Your gut instinct just failed a CIA test. Andrew Bustamante, ex-CIA operative, reveals that our intuition gets it wrong 87% of the time when making critical decisions. In this episode, Adrian Wells sits down with Bustamante to unpack the psychological tricks intelligence agencies use to outsmart human bias and why your brain might be your worst enemy when it comes to reading people and situations. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • The PPOV decision-making method that helped CIA operatives survive life-or-death situations • Why your brain processes 11 million bits of info per second but only 40 bits consciously (and how this sabotages your judgment) • The specific geopolitical warning signs that suggest major changes coming to America by 2030 • Real examples of when trusting your gut leads to catastrophic mistakes in business and relationships 👤 Perfect for: lifelong learners and anyone passionate about personal growth who wants to make better decisions under pressure and see through the noise of modern information overload. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Adrian Wells introduces the 87% gut instinct failure rate [01:45] Why CIA training breaks down natural human intuition first [04:20] The PPOV method: how spies actually make decisions [06:50] China's $16 trillion economic shift and what it means for Americans [09:30] Real-world examples where gut feelings lead people astray [11:15] Three immediate changes you can make to your decision process Most Americans will never live outside the US (only 2% do), but Bustamante's data suggests that might need to change sooner than we think. His insider perspective on global economic shifts and psychological warfare offers a rare glimpse into how the world actually works behind closed doors. 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow First Principles on Spotify an…

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## Transcript

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