Who do I listen to my Heart or my Head??

Should you always listen to your heart or your head? When it comes to relationships, is it enough to follow your heart or is it better to be more practical? The romance novels, fairy tales and chick flicks have told us time and again to always follow our hearts. But there are also people who tell us to be more practical as well. So is it better to listen to your heart or to your head?

"A good heart is better than all the heads in the world."— Robert Bulwer-Lytton
When you fall in love, you feel your heart flutter, beat loudly or leap for joy; when you're rejected, your heart breaks. You are called heartless or cold-hearted when you show no care or love...and big-hearted when you extend your concern to others. You "take things to heart" or "talk heart-to-heart" about deeply personal issues. You love someone "from the bottom of your heart" but are half-hearted about something when you're emotionally uninvolved. You experience your heart as the center of your feelings, as seen on Valentine's Day when love-filled hearts abound. You know this instinctively, as you always physically point to your heart when you say "I" or want to express your deeper feelings.

Heart

It does sound overly romantic to listen to what your heart tells you and to do as it says. Emotions, after all, are just as powerful as our instincts and sometimes, they do have their way of steering us to the right direction. So yes, listening to the heart and following your emotions is good. The problem comes up when you always rely on it to give you the answers that you need.

Emotions are almost always driven by what we want. People see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear and feel what they want to feel. When you rely solely on your heart when it comes to relationships, you are also more vulnerable to making wrong decisions so you end up falling for the wrong guys.:)

Yet your heart is so much more than a vessel for romance. It has been described as the king, with the mind as the king's adviser. When faced with a decision, the king may ask his advisers for advice, may even send him out into the world to gather information, but ultimately it is the king that makes the final decision. Even though the advisers do not always agree with the king's decision, the king is invariably right, because the king's view not only sees the bigger picture but is also aware of the needs of others.

Head

In the same way, when faced with a decision or conflict, your mind may come up with numerous, different and quite logical reasons why you should act as it advises, but if you listen to and trust your heart—however illogical or irrational it may seem—it is usually right and you are happier as a result.
There is great brilliance and beauty inherent within the mind, because it is capable of understanding the most intricate scientific and mathematical theories and can make complicated corporate decisions. Yet the same mind can get caught up in trivia and nonsense, becoming upset or even unglued over a seemingly harmless remark. It runs your life, pushing and pulling you in all directions, from attraction to repulsion, creating endless dramas in acting out your insecurities and fears, because it is not in touch with your deeper feelings.
 Living inside your head all the time is actually not much fun!
In reality, it wouldn't hurt to think things through before you make decisions. They did say that the reason why your brain is placed above your heart is because you need to use it first before you let emotions get the best of you. When it comes to the choice to listen to your heart or your head, the head is a popular choice because it controls your judgement and your ability to distinguish a good guy from someone who will just string you along.

But over-contemplation can lead to impatience. And rationalizing over every single thing takes away the fun from dating. True, you should make decisions with your brain as an active participant but don't forget what your heart tells you as well.

Both

Man was made with both a heart and a mind so it would seem a waste if you're not going to use both. So if it's a choice of whether to listen to your heart or your head, the answer is that you listen to both. Go with what your brain tells you when it comes to determining what characteristics would make a guy become a suitable candidate. Once you've found him, have fun and let your emotions take the lead.

While the mind is the content of who you are, your heart is your essence. Your true heart is not subject to chaos or limited by pain, fear and neuroses, but is joyful, creative and loving. Some believe the heart can be too uncertain and even misguided, but that is the head talking! It is actually a source of great richness, and this wealth is one that cannot be squandered or lost. It is the core, the essence of your being, a reservoir of joy, powerful love and infinite compassion that lies within you.

Your heart is more than your body's most important organ—it's also the essence of your spiritual and emotional being. At times listening to your heart is much more valuable than always making decisions with just your head.