Most people trust their first thought.

It arrives quickly.
It feels certain.
And because it appears first, we often treat it as accurate.

Left unchecked, especially in our social engagements, that habit shapes how we judge situations, interpret people, and make decisions. Over time, it quietly trains us to rely on reaction rather than reflection—and that reliance has consequences.

I want to propose a different approach to thinking—one that interrupts reflex, strengthens judgment, and produces clearer decisions in leadership, healthcare, and everyday life.

I call it The Law of Fifth.

 

Why we default to the Law of First

The human brain is designed for speed. Long before it was designed for nuance or deliberation, it evolved to respond quickly to potential threats. That capacity remains useful—but it also creates a tendency toward reactivity when reflection is absent.

When we do not intentionally slow our thinking, the mind defaults to the Law of First: the assumption that the first thought is the right one.

This happens not because the first thought is wise, but because it is efficient.

The result is a pattern of reactive cognition—judgments formed quickly, defended immediately, and rarely revisited. Over time, this pattern reinforces itself.

The less we reflect, the more reactive we become.

Psychology helps explain why this happens:

• Anchoring – the mind gives disproportionate weight to the first information it encounters
• Confirmation bias – once an initial interpretation forms, we unconsciously seek evidence to support it

Without reflective thinking, these patterns are not corrected—they are reinforced.

What looks like decisiveness is often simply reinforced reactive thinking.

 

The Law of Fifth as a discipline of reflection

The Law of Fifth is a deliberate interruption of that reactive pattern.

When a strong thought arises—especially one that feels certain—I do not act on it immediately.

I let it pass.

Then I notice the second thought.
Then the third.
Then the fourth.

By the fifth thought, something reliably changes.

Emotional intensity softens.
Certainty becomes more flexible.
Curiosity replaces urgency.

The fifth thought is rarely reactive. It does not rush toward judgment or action. It carries context, proportion, and perspective.

This is reflective cognition in practice.

The Law of Fifth is not about suppressing instinct. It is about creating the conditions in which instinct can mature.

 

A moment from clinical practice

An older adult was asked by his geriatrician, “What matters to you?”

His answer was brief: watching TV.

The clinician felt frustrated. The immediate interpretation was that the patient lacked motivation or meaningful goals. That response did not align with what the clinician believed should matter.

That interpretation reflected the Law of First.

But reflective thinking invites a different question:
What else might be influencing this answer?

What if this was the first time the patient had encountered such a question with real intent?
What if the response was provisional rather than definitive?

Meaningful questions often require repetition. Reflection allows the mind to explore, refine, and deepen its responses over time.

Had the question been revisited later, the second, third, or fifth answer might have revealed far more.

The issue was not the content of the response.
It was the absence of reflective pause before interpretation.

 

Reactivity weakens intuition; reflection strengthens it

First thoughts are often defended as gut instinct. In reality, reactivity and intuition are fundamentally different.

Reactivity is fast because it is unexamined.
Intuition is fast because it has been trained.

Without reflective thinking, we confuse the two—and become increasingly reactive. The Law of First dominates, and certainty hardens prematurely.

With regular reflection, something else happens.

The Law of Fifth becomes familiar.
Patterns are observed over time rather than seized in moments.
Judgment becomes proportional rather than impulsive.

As reflective practice strengthens, intuition becomes more reliable. Over time, first intuitive thoughts can be trusted—not because they are first, but because they emerge from a mind trained through reflection rather than reaction.

Reflection does not slow intuition.
It prepares it.

 

Why this matters in real life

Most harm in organizations, relationships, and systems does not originate from ill intent. It comes from habitual reactivity.

People are interpreted too quickly.
Motives are assumed without context.
Silence is mistaken for indifference.
Disagreement is framed as resistance.

These patterns are not moral failures. They are cognitive ones.

First thoughts narrow understanding.
Fifth thoughts expand it.

This distinction matters in healthcare.
It matters in leadership.
It matters in families, classrooms, institutions, and communities.

When reflective thinking is absent, the Law of First dominates.
When reflection is practiced consistently, the Law of Fifth becomes the norm.

 

Practicing the Law of Fifth

The Law of Fifth is not about controlling thoughts. It is about training the space between them.

When certainty arrives quickly:

Notice the first thought without acting on it.
Allow it to pass.
Attend to what follows.

By the fifth thought, ask yourself:
Is this more reflective than reactive?

Often, it is.

Practiced regularly, this discipline reshapes cognition. Reactivity loosens its grip. Intuition strengthens. Judgment becomes clearer and more humane.

In a culture that rewards speed and certainty, reflective thinking is a quiet form of mastery.

And over time, it allows us to trust intuition—not because it is immediate, but because it has been earned.

Connect

Dr. Jeremy Holloway works with healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and community leaders as a consultant and speaker—helping teams move from reactive patterns toward reflective, human-centered decision-making. He also leads applied programs that translate these principles into practice, including the Tellegacy Program, which supports connection, clarity, and well-being across generations.

Learn more about Tellegacy here: https://tellegacy.org
To explore consulting, speaking, or program partnerships, visit JeremyHolloway.com.