Sane Elucidations is my response to the loud and visceral chatter I hear on a daily basis. In my daily conversations I encounter many people expressing outrage about something(s) or someone(s) “out there”. This outrage ranges from issues such as reproductive choices to “that person parked too close to me”. We can get so caught up in our emotional reactions to things that are happening “out there” that we can become irrational, dangerous, or mislead. Another motivation for my blog is to respond to those who tell me that they somehow have the answers to deep mysteries such as “why are we here”. For me there are no ultimate answers, only evidence. What we do with that evidence and what evidence should be considered matters to me.
We are all born into a world where we learn heritage, culture, customs, history, and other similar matters. We are hardwired to learn and to acquire language or some form of communication. As we grow and learn we all develop “filters” to be able to make sense of our environment and enable us to survive. We use all senses to acquire these filters. As a consequence we are all products of our heritage, our culture, our religion and other factors. There is nothing inherently wrong with this influence. But it does not make it right either. A particular way of being may certainly work for us on a day to day basis but ultimately it is a choice we make, whether we make that choice consciously or unconsciously.
I propose the use of rational thinking as a tool to prevent ourselves individually and collectively from becoming irrational, dangerous, or mislead. I define rational thinking as a way of viewing our world and ourselves that rises above cultural, religious, customs, heritage, and other modes of thought. The results of this exercise can be applied to our everyday experiences and bring about clarity and a sound perspective. But can anyone really totally achieve pure rational thinking? I think not. We can never truly escape the filters that we have learned. But I think you can get close. And with any tool, the more we use that tool, the better we will get.
As I said earlier, there are no answers, only evidence. The more profound a claim, the stronger the evidence must be in order to base any views or to take any course of action. What we decide to do as a result of that evidence, or what to believe, is up to each of us.
Rational Thinking = Sane Elucidations
Tags: culture, customs, filters, heritage, history, perspective, Philosophy, purpose, rational thinking, thoughts
September 16, 2008 at 8:00 pm |
Excellent post. But don’t you think rationality is only one side of humanity? Yes, our actions in the ‘heat of the moment’ can sometimes land us into big trouble, but it’s sometimes necessary for some things in life to be fuelled with emotion as opposed to logic.
But well, as you say, ‘there are no answers, only evidence.’ How true. =D
September 16, 2008 at 8:33 pm |
ilovemint. Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I agree with you that rationality is one side of humanity. Emotions enrich our lives. For example, when I am play the electric guitar, I play my best when it is totally emotional. And when I am approached by someone with a knife, I am going to run like hell! Who cares in the moment why this person is attacking me. So in the safety of our quiet moments, a bit of rational thinking may help prevent us from getting in big trouble and letting our emotions get the best of us.
September 16, 2008 at 9:26 pm |
Ah yes…well that’s cleared up. A perfect balance then, is the solution.