Rationalisation – Mind’s Trick

 

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Rationalisation – Mind’s Trick

We rationalise stuff to fool not only others, but also oneself. Rationalising is nothing but another sophisticated word for escapism. People who rationalise do so to avoid answering directly, they want an escape route. Rationalisation is nothing but a strategy used by intellectuals to trick us into believing that we are wrong – they will use logic and big words to befuddle us! This kind of rationalisation is nothing but a pretension.

There is a story from the diary of an Italian girl who went on a Caribbean cruise:

Monday – was invited to dine at the Captain’s table; Tuesday – spent the day with the Captain; Wednesday – Captain made ungentlemanly proposals to me; Thursday – Captain said he would sink the ship if I did not agree to his proposals; Friday – saved a thousand lives.

This is rationalisation. Humans are very cunning, and people go on doing things in the name of reason. We have politician’s and social workers going on fasts unto death for their own agenda – how can this be for the general public; this is nothing but blackmail. Mahatma Gandhi, Vinobha Bhave, Anna Hazare have all done this with some degree of success, as politicians are too afraid of losing votes.

Coercion becomes non-violence. A threat to commit suicide becomes a beautiful thing when we call it ‘fast unto death’! And rather than being caught by the police and brought before the court, the prime minister runs, the ministers are running and everybody is trying to persuade such people: “Don’t go on a fast unto death.” And nobody is saying that this is a crime! These are rationalisations. One can do anything if one has a cunning and clever mind to rationalise it.

But it is good to understand what it is, it is better not to indulge in it. It is a camouflage. It is better to be authentic, true, rather than hiding oneself behind smoke screens.

When we look at rationalism from the psychology perspective – we have a great desire for truth. We want to have knowledge (accurate beliefs about the world), so we explore nature, study the universe, apply scientific methods, and seek to overcome our cognitive biases. We want to achieve meaningful goals and succeed in life, so we make intelligent plans and exert willpower to follow through with them

We transcend instrumental rationality when we are on a way without a goal, in a state of mindfulness, perfectly present to the moment. For example, meditating under a tree in the forest is beyond reason because it is an aimless immersion in the totality of Being.

If we indulge in strategies like rationalisation, we will never come closer to our own inner self where God resides. Drop all false faces so that we can find our original face. And to find the original face is the greatest blessing and the greatest benediction in life.