Why do people assume they’re rational?

[Weebster]

...

 

[Amumu]

"Rationalism, in Western philosophy, the view that regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge."

You're rational when you use deduction to reach your conclusions. Neither sensation, nor emotions.

Being rational doesn't mean you're necessarily right, maybe that's why your question is very large.

 

[Oblivion Access]

As a species we're very attached to this image of ourselves as rational actors, especially so given that the premise of our present sociopolitical order hinges on that notion. Supposedly, unless we face blatantly obvious direct coercion, we're free to choose in our rational, best interest. Some brief observation of how people live in actuality quickly reveals this to be false. The more one is attached to this identity as a rational actor (facts and logic bois) the more they are unaware and therefore controlled by their emotions and impulses.

 

[Notemia]

"Rationalism, in Western philosophy, the view that regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge."

You're rational when you use deduction to reach your conclusions. Neither sensation, nor emotions.

Being rational doesn't mean you're necessarily right, maybe that's why your question is very large.

Most people use the word very loosely as they tend to do. If rationality entails sole deduction, then only mathematics or very specific philosophical frameworks with set axioms are rational. Then you could be rational for short, limited bouts of time, but being inherently rational, so to speak, is literally impossible. A more applicable definition, practically speaking, would be something like this: Rational - endowed with the capacity to reason. (taken from just googling definition of rational).

 

[Al_stargate]

Rational depends on one's view of himself and the world. What seems logical for someone might seem completely illogical to someone else. We can only see the results of our actions in hindsight, so rational is something we attribute to ourselves after things went well as an ego boost. Better question is; What is rational? For me, that is a decision that doesn't involve emotions, biases, egos, and selfish desires but that is very hard because mostly we are those things.

 

[jandek]

I interpret that as a desire to see oneself as in control of one's actions, assuming that they have a conscious and rational source. The thought that our deepest motivations and desires are in fact unconscious and irrational is a threatening one to many people, since it attacks our basic notions of free will and personal agency. Although, at the same time, people often deny that responsibility when it's convenient to do so. Protecting one's self-interest and self-image is probably behind both phenomena.

 

[stellabelle]

Refusal to accept that they may not always be "perfectly sound."

I have been on both sides of the coin.


Stupidity.

There is no real answer outside of stupidity. Which is incredibly sad.

I have fucked up repeatedly.

Fucked up.

Been fucked up.

Fucked up.

Stupidity, all in stupidity.

It was incredibly sad.

Extremely bad.

And then.

It was all I knew.

And then.

Attempting to break that cycle.

Only to be pulled into another one.

The tornado of life.

It was not okay.

Then.

I am the tornado.

And it is not fun, or funny. It is not amusing. It is not okay.

 

[whatevs]

Weebster has mastered the art of the engaging thread crafting. One day very soon, he shall post a thread titled '?' with '.' as a body and a lengthy back and forth among multiple members on Confucianism and its influence on the modern chinese man will follow.

 

[TotallyIsolated]

Because they're deluding themselves.

It's commonly a tactic used to shut down any discussion around sensitive or emotive topics, or against certain people. You're not allowed to be upset that I kicked you in the balls, because you're just being emotional about it. If you can convince people that "women aren't rational" then you don't need to listen to their opinions, for instance.

It also finds expression as an argument to masculinity - emotion is bad, therefore argument from emotion is also bad. I'm too manly and therefore rational to fall for some silly emotional argument, etc…

The truth is we are emotional beings. We both think and feel. Feelings are irrational but no less true or valid as motivation than thoughts and ideas.