So, I asked some people as you suggested, but I didn’t find anything as interesting as you. Over the last few days I’ve asked 10 people if they “rationalise”, giving them just one example, and all of them have immediately understood and spontaneously come up with valid examples of themselves doing so.
Incidentally, I quite often catch myself rationalising, but I really doubt accosting strangers with odd questions would trigger that in me. I’m not sure what else to suggest. Perhaps asking them when they last felt guilty? From the examples the people I mentioned above came up with, guilt seems to be a very strong trigger of rationalisation. An example: “I forgot to call my Mum on her birthday but I told myself she was really busy with the rest of the family”.
From the examples the people I mentioned above came up with, guilt seems to be a very strong trigger of rationalisation.
Perhaps rationalization is an adaptation that develops when people risk some kind of punishment for their irrationality.
We are irrational, and we already suffer the consequences of our irrationality. But if there is additional penalty for admitting irrationality, it gives us incentive to pretend that the irrational decision was in fact rational; to lie to others, and ultimately to lie to ourselves. Admitting irrationality can be a very bad signalling.
How exactly does guilt become a part of the equation? Probably by believing that there is no such thing as irrationality, and people are always perfectly following their utility function. So if you forgot to do something, it means you decided not to do it, because it gives you negative utility. So whenever your irrationality harms people around you, it means you hate them. (If your irrationality sometimes harms you, this can be explained away by saying that you didn’t really care about something, only pretended it.) From the outside view, our irrationality is not credible—it may be just a public act, while we are following our true preferences (defined circularly as “that what we are following”, plus some possible secrets).
Conflating irrationality with “self deception” here. But you seem to be defining rationality as “utility function” here. How is some idealized idea of “utility function” any different from just “preferences”.
“I’m trying to give up chocolate. Last weekend I saw a delicious cake and I found myself telling myself the only reason I wanted it was to boost my energy levels, hahaha you know the feeling, right?” If they didn’t immediately chime in with examples I’d prompt them with “and you know, its not just food, I rationalise all the time” and ask them if they do as well.
Over than half of them immediately came up with their own diet-related rationalisations. Of the other 4 I had the “calling my mum” one above, a couple of people who said they often caught themselves coming up with reasons for why they weren’t doing their work, and one “the dog wouldn’t like to be taken for a walk in this cold weather”.
The reason I mentioned guilt is that a few of them (I didn’t count) explicitly used the word “guilty” (like, I’m too tired to work, so I don’t have to feel guilty that I’m out drinking) and one person talked about trying to make himself feel better.
And, just to check, did you make sure that all the diet-related examples you got were examples of making false excuses to oneself, and not just examples of e.g. previously intending to diet, but then changing one’s mind when one saw the chocolate cake?
So, I asked some people as you suggested, but I didn’t find anything as interesting as you. Over the last few days I’ve asked 10 people if they “rationalise”, giving them just one example, and all of them have immediately understood and spontaneously come up with valid examples of themselves doing so.
Incidentally, I quite often catch myself rationalising, but I really doubt accosting strangers with odd questions would trigger that in me. I’m not sure what else to suggest. Perhaps asking them when they last felt guilty? From the examples the people I mentioned above came up with, guilt seems to be a very strong trigger of rationalisation. An example: “I forgot to call my Mum on her birthday but I told myself she was really busy with the rest of the family”.
Perhaps rationalization is an adaptation that develops when people risk some kind of punishment for their irrationality.
We are irrational, and we already suffer the consequences of our irrationality. But if there is additional penalty for admitting irrationality, it gives us incentive to pretend that the irrational decision was in fact rational; to lie to others, and ultimately to lie to ourselves. Admitting irrationality can be a very bad signalling.
How exactly does guilt become a part of the equation? Probably by believing that there is no such thing as irrationality, and people are always perfectly following their utility function. So if you forgot to do something, it means you decided not to do it, because it gives you negative utility. So whenever your irrationality harms people around you, it means you hate them. (If your irrationality sometimes harms you, this can be explained away by saying that you didn’t really care about something, only pretended it.) From the outside view, our irrationality is not credible—it may be just a public act, while we are following our true preferences (defined circularly as “that what we are following”, plus some possible secrets).
Conflating irrationality with “self deception” here. But you seem to be defining rationality as “utility function” here. How is some idealized idea of “utility function” any different from just “preferences”.
Much thanks for collecting this data. What example did you use? And what sorts of examples did you get back?
“I’m trying to give up chocolate. Last weekend I saw a delicious cake and I found myself telling myself the only reason I wanted it was to boost my energy levels, hahaha you know the feeling, right?” If they didn’t immediately chime in with examples I’d prompt them with “and you know, its not just food, I rationalise all the time” and ask them if they do as well.
Over than half of them immediately came up with their own diet-related rationalisations. Of the other 4 I had the “calling my mum” one above, a couple of people who said they often caught themselves coming up with reasons for why they weren’t doing their work, and one “the dog wouldn’t like to be taken for a walk in this cold weather”.
The reason I mentioned guilt is that a few of them (I didn’t count) explicitly used the word “guilty” (like, I’m too tired to work, so I don’t have to feel guilty that I’m out drinking) and one person talked about trying to make himself feel better.
And, just to check, did you make sure that all the diet-related examples you got were examples of making false excuses to oneself, and not just examples of e.g. previously intending to diet, but then changing one’s mind when one saw the chocolate cake?
yep, they were all valid examples of rationalisation