The famed psychologist Carl Jung defined intuition as perception via the unconscious. Now, while that is all well-and-good for those with a natural intuition, it does not help us. We need to either breed an intuition, or fake one; I did a little of both. I learned the cues and signals that those with the gift notice subconsciously; that way I could look for them consciously.
No one could tell the difference between my fake intuition and others’ real ones. After a while of pretending, though, I noticed that I no longer had to make any effort whatsoever. It was like learning to add: at first, each problem seems like a big deal, but, after a while of practicing, addition becomes a non-issue, not even worthy of conscious effort.
The signals for which I looked out included crossed arms, flared nostrils, dilated or contracted pupils, extra—or lack of—color in the cheeks, direction of feet and hips, flashed palms, exposed wrists and/or neck, displayed bottom teeth, various eye movements, fidgeting, symmetry, breathing patterns, diction, tone, hand movements and positions, leaning forward or backward, touching one’s face, eye creasing, and many, many more.
Learn to recognize and interpret different cues consciously; after some time you will do it naturally. I cannot even remember all the times my intuition saved me from losing Sets, girls, and friends; a keen intuition allows one to say the right thing, always. Or—at least—most of the time.