fractalization of reason

[rone]

I have a small theory that posits that irrationality is most often a misnomer; almost everything we do consciously is done rationally, at some level in our mind. The process might not be familiar, but that does not mean that there is no process.

Comments

[gallifreyan.livejournal.com]

If I leave here tomorrow, will you still remember me?

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

You know, when i went to see Blue Man Group at the Luxor, someone in the audience yelled out, "Free Bird!" Blue Man looked at each other, started fumbling around, found the tune, and played the song on the PVC. It might have been a plant who yelled it out, but it was still way cool.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

And, yes, even though i think your comment is utterly irrational, i'm certain you had a very good reason for posting it. And the best thing is that you might not even be aware of what it is.

[waider.livejournal.com]

Smarter people than I (me? for a grammar nazi, the smallest things trip me up) have noted that the human brane is amazingly good at producing rationalizations for preconceived "non-rational" notions. Douglas Adams hauls this idea over the coals (in typically amusing fashion) in one of the Dirk Gently novels.

I think it's all hair-splitting, myself.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Well, i wasn't thinking of rationalizations. That's all backwards thinking anyway.

Is it hair-splitting? Maybe it is, but i think that i want to challenge the notion that so-called "irrational behavior" often isn't.

[waider.livejournal.com]

I think you're just looking to pick a fight with a philosopher or a sociologist.

Of course, I may be giggling at this point, but my font is deadpan.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's a fight i can WIN, pal!

[bivaughn.livejournal.com]

Not painting lane markers with reflective paint is utterly irrational. Beat that, philosopher man.

[nothings.livejournal.com]

I tend to focus on emotion-driven stuff when talking about irrationality (as opposed to randomness). Clearly emotions are part of the brain process, but mental processes are not identical to rationality to my mind (yuk yuk). A first quick cut at it: something is rational if you can introspectively apply something resembling logic to it.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

"resembling logic"... now those are dangerous words.

I just bottled rationality, and made a molotov cocktail...

[(Anonymous)]

I think you're positing a tautology, mister: "Everything we do 'consciously' (rationally) is done 'rationally' (consciously).

Is this only a confusion that you call rationality, anyway? I think the question actually remains as to whether pure rationality itself really exists. Every time you make some decision you call rationality, don't you do so mixed with some insane sentient (non/ir-rational) notion you have? I dare you to make one rational decision that affects you long-term (assuming rationality is resilient long-term) devoid of any emotionality. When you become purely rational, then we will stop talking about irrationality (or sentience). Basically, if you can define for me what the origin of rationality is, then we'll talk about that which follows.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's something i wanted to get at, too... you can't remove emotion from rationality. But you have given me much to think about, my friendly little SLOpoke.