Rational Is Not The Answer

The point is is not simply that rational is of little use, I believe it to be critical for a life well lived. But as with most things, balance is needed. At times I trend to much towards rationality, so this paper is intended to better balance my modes of thinking.

Life, or rather clear and effective thinking, is a slippery thing to learn and practice, and impossible to master. But it is also one of just a few things required for a productive, satisfying, and worthwhile life.

Recently I noticed an example of ineffective thinking that got me thinking about one of the most common and detrimental adversaries to proper thinking, 'cognitive bias'.

I have to always suspect that there are several assumptions and habits that I currently hold that may allow disruptive cognitive bias in my own thinking. Observing those weaknesses in others is helpful in spotting them in myself. Though pointing a person's flawed thinking out to them is seldom welcome or advised.

• There are some things that are not open to discussion, reevaluation, or debat. That 'Jesus is who he said he is' is an example.
• Descartes' discourse on method presents a case for beginning with the undeniable truth, and to build on and expand from it with equally true things while considering everything else as suspect until vetted.
• Cognitive bias is based on opinions (proto beliefs that have not been vetted - lazy thinking) and beliefs that may or may not be rational or have any basis in reality or objective evaluation.
• People strongly tend towards accepting, believing, and acting on what they want to believe regardless of any counter argument or evidence. And the 'want' is not a desire for the thing, but for an end of, reduction of, or avoidance of the psychological dissonance, pain, and discomfort that come with changing a conviction or integrating a new idea. The 'want' is not to acquire, but to avoid.
• Cognitive dissonance is dramatically reduced by association with others that hold the same opinions. In fact, such association results in increased 'pleasure', reinforcement of those opinions, and the acceptance of similar and related opinions.

So, assuming these and other points can be reconciled into an understanding of their interaction and consequent effects, the following questions arise;

• how to persuade people to practice the most productive rational thinking and examination of held beliefs, abandoning those that at false
• How do I guarantee that I am doing the same
• What about those who are unwilling or unable to adopt more effective thinking (effective thinking needs clear definition)

I suspect that the answer is that this problem is unsolvable through human action alone.

This problem has to do with mankind's evil nature. As with everything we are, we experience, we plan, we imagine - Jesus is the only effective solution. He is the entirety of the answer. And he has already said and done all that is needed to understand where and what we are, why we are, and how to respond going forward.

Regardless of how much more I consider all of this, or what new information or insight can be brought to this issue, and regardless of the amount of time and effort applied, I would still come to this same conclusion.