RATIONAL THINKING
(A Skill that helps to self-sustain by using
the Laws of Logic)
THOUGHTS- A BRIDGE BETWEEN “Actions
Beliefs Consequences”
WAYS OF THINKING
1. Rational Thinking
It is
empirically consistent with reality and it is testable
Rational things are usually
steady as they are systematic in the right direction, flow, and purpose. They
are experimentally verifiable and practically possible with consistency.
Logical
The Rational thinking is sound and it is based
on the facts, with consideration of different sources of knowledge and positive
utilization of different emotions and needed knowledge in the appropriate way at
the appropriate time.
Flexible
Rational thinking involves the process of
thinking in many directions and thereby it doesn’t make a person to be stuck at
something. It helps a person to be flexible enough to change the plans when an unexpected situation arises.
Preferential, as it expresses a desire not a
demand
Being Rational helps a person to have many
choices for the things around and a person will know how to react and show different
emotions in an appropriate way. Rational thinking helps to be preferential and
it helps to express a desire rather than demanding something which may not be
always available.
2.
Irrational
It is Inconsistent with reality, lacks
empirical validity
Irrational thinking doesn’t have a strong
and novel base and it is lagging. The thoughts will not be towards execution and
towards the purpose, but deviating from the purpose. Irrational thinking is
inconsistent and it is less practical to keep the standards. Thereby, it lacks
empirical validity.
Illogical
Irrational thinking involves thinking but in a
narrow direction, having some backup agenda. It tries to relate something that
is complex or unrelated and it is directionless without a purpose. It makes use
of knowledge and emotions inappropriately with reference to inappropriate time
and place.
Dogmatic, nonflexible
The irrational thinking make a
person to fix certain things in the mind and narrows down the thinking process.
It makes a person believe something with own ideology, without considering
the general ideologies and makes a person be Dogmatic and nonflexible.
Demanding, as it states demand rather than a
desire.
Being irrational makes a person think that whatever
s (he) think alone is right and despises others. The irrational thinkers being
nonflexible and having narrow ideas, they are usually demanding and they wish to
accomplish what they desire, thereby making it a demand.
RATIONALITY & RATIONAL THINKING
Rationality is the quality or state of being
reasonable, based on facts or reason. Rationality implies one's beliefs with
one's reasons to believe, or it implies one's actions with one's reasons for
action. Rationality does not mean cold and calculating, but it makes
Actions and Beliefs comprise of thinking. We could be content with our actions
and Beliefs, only when we are rational in our thinking. Rational thinking is
functional, helpful, and useful in a person’s long-term goals and values.
FOUNDATIONS FOR RATIONAL THINKING
Individuals have the capacity to create their
own self-enhancing and self-defeating emotions.
All of us have our own situations to face and
react. We may not be able to change our environment or situations most of the
time, but we are always able to change the way we respond and react to it.
Thereby we all have the ability to show our different emotions in various ways
and the foundation for that is our rational thinking.
Happiness is the goal of all individuals. An
individual’s belief system affects the level of happiness and self-actualization
No people in the world want to suffer in their
lives and we all strive hard to attain happiness by any means. But the
happiness that is attained by crookedness and irrationality may become mourning
after some time. Individuals belief play a vital role in most of the
actions they do and affects their level of happiness and their potential to
attain self-actualization.
People inadvertently create personality and
emotional disturbances through their irrational beliefs which leads to
unhappiness.
There are many times we regret some mistakes without taking any effort to correct it. Also, there are times
we feel sad for some bad happening without realizing that it will not change
anything. There are always times we dream something big without putting any
effort to achieve it. We all create some personality inside us due to our
irrational beliefs that may cause a lot of emotional disturbances and can lead to
unhappiness.
IRRATIONALITY & IRRATIONAL THINKING
Irrationality is cognition, thinking, talking
or acting without inclusion of rationality. It is more specifically described
as an action or opinion given through inadequate use of reason, emotional
distress, or cognitive deficiency. Irrational thinking involves Low frustration
tolerance and All-or-nothing thinking. It is more Personalizing and Emotional defective
Reasoning.
GENERAL IRRATIONAL BELIEFS
People will respect me if I wear New/Costly
Clothes.
It is true that people will treat well if a
person is well dressed but it is only at first sight. Only when a person is
able to relate with others positively and respectably, he gets back respect.
I will get passed/ score good marks if I go a
Temple/Church.
It is undeniable that faith in God, a sovereign being given a lot of positive attitudes. At the same time, we need to realize that
God doesn’t promote irresponsibility or laziness, so for getting a good result, we are obliged to work for it. Going to a Temple or a Church cost nothing if it
is just an action for the sake of having emotional gratification.
I will enjoy my life if I play in the classroom
every time.
Listening to a lecture is very boring at times
and at the same time playing in the classroom may be interesting as it keeps a
person active. But if we analyze the result of both, we will gain nothing or
near nothing productive, while playing and get at least something when we listen
to a lecture and try the best to understand it.
I will get good placement/ Good Job if I cheat
the examiner and get good marks.
It is always true when a person cheats an
examiner, his grades are improved. But the grades are just a temporary
examination to scale up. The person needs to know a lot more things for a Good
placement/ Good job more than the marks. The skills and attitudes are more looked at from a person than the grades.
I will keep a good relationship with a person
throughout my life.
As human beings, we are unique in
our tastes and interests. The exposure and the background of each one of us
differs. So, there will be always a difference of opinion amongst people, from a
minor to a major thing. It is true that we need to have a good relationship with
everyone around us but we need to realize that it is not possible for anyone
throughout life, as the situations vary.
I will become very happy if I become rich.
Happiness is not just the people around us and
the wealth or the power we hold. It is the balance of all the physical, mental
and social aspects that gives joy and satisfaction in the midst of many
problems. Every person has own situations to face, whatever the position and
status may be.
BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF IRRATIONAL
BELIEFS
When a person faces extreme difficulties of
life and unacceptance, (s) he develops self-pity or self-doubting due to low
self-esteem. Practicing unconditional self-acceptance may be helpful to improve
self-esteem.
There are always unpleasant
experiences due to some negative things in life. It is not much easy to tolerate
and get over it and it can slowly scratch our potential. Only fighting against
it with the right attitude and values, help us to overcome it.
We are frustrated when something isn’t in
order in which it needs to be. We have our assumptions on a few things based on
our pre-knowledge about it which causes low frustration tolerance. It is
necessary to question our assumptions and validate to develop tolerance.
FACTORS INFLUENCING BELIEFS
Personal factors:
Some Experiences and Expectations may be responsible
for Beliefs.
Beliefs are ideas in which our confidence is
placed and thought, to know to be true and real. All the beliefs cannot be
taken as truth and all the truth is not believed. Persons' own experience
towards certain things and expectations towards something is always responsible
for the beliefs and it can influence our rationality.
Social factors
The Cultural practices, family environment,
work environment, Legislation, etc. may also influence our beliefs
We as social beings are more prone to be with
one another and want others to know our presence. So we actively go inline
with our Cultural values, family, environment, and legislation without knowing
the background or reason behind it. The practices we have, influence a lot of our
beliefs and our thought process have a reference to those things in our mind,
forming a base for the reasons for our words and actions.
Economic factors
The financial situations, Power and Prosperity
will also affect our beliefs.
People are often valued by their holdings
of finance, power, and prosperity. It’s undeniable that the influential status
of a person gives them the confidence to achieve certain things, but at the same
time some people are more worried about protecting their influential status and
it affects a lot of their beliefs and thereby their process of thinking
HOW TO BE RATIONAL
We are capable of thinking and exercising
things, but we need to understand our limits.
All human beings have the
power to be creative and as a result of it, things are evolved day-by-day.
Though the power and capability to think to persist amongst all of us, we couldn’t
predict everything accurately. We have our limitations in our finite mind and
we need to understand it, to be rational.
Everyone has Emotions, Knowledge, Experience,
and Resources within us. It should be utilized as a whole and sticking to one
thing may lead to irrationality.
Human beings are the most complex
of all beings, because of the different aspects we have. But separating emotions
and intellect, and trying to apply something alone would not be much
appropriate at times and we need to utilize the things as a whole and
sticking/holding on to a particular aspect/thing will not help us to be rational.
Observe everything, Think beyond the scene and conclude
using different perceptions.
We cannot trust and develop an idea about something by just looking at it or hearing about it in one-dimension,
we need to observe and analyze everything by careful thinking, beyond the scene
and then only we will be able to conclude rightly through different
perceptions.
Define your values and be honest to yourself as
well as others.
The values we have are the outcome of our
beliefs which has much influence on our thoughts. We need to define our values
with clearness and need to be honest to accept our own limitations and
strengths, as well as others, in order to be rational.
Accept your Limitations and Others' Limitations.
Correct yourself and improve your Personality.
Most of the times we worry about things just
because of our own limitations and fail to recognize or overcome it. When we
are able to accept our limitations, either we don’t attempt something beyond
our capability or correct ourselves by improving our Personality.
Learn something new every day and improve your
exposure to things.
Learning various things not only gives
knowledge about a variety of things. It also helps us to relate to so many things
that are intertwined. Getting knowledge about different things helps us to
enhance our exposure and it will be more helpful to be rational.
HANDLING NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
Adversity may lead to negative
emotions. Some negative emotions are more rational.
Sadness Vs Depression
Every human being will face
frustration and disappointment when something that is unlikely or expected
happens. Ultimately we mourn for it and it can lead to Sadness. Sadness happens
then and there, and it is retrievable but when it moves to a point of
depression it is difficult to handle.
Remorse Vs Guilt
Mistakes are very obvious amongst all of us.
But doing the same mistakes, again and again, may demolish our ethical and moral
values. At the same time mistakes may leave a stray of Guiltiness which leaves a
person paralyzed. Guilt is good for repentance but continuing in Guilt may
separate from something valuable too. So, we always need to regret the
negative things and need not continue being in the Guilt after measures are
taken towards it.
Concern Vs Anxiety
We all love something or some people in our
lives. We always wish to spend time on what we love. It’s nothing wrong with
having concern for our interests and that affects us. But being anxious unreasonably
that something we desire needs to be with us all the time, will cause deep pain when we face the practical reality.
IMPORTANCE OF BEING RATIONAL
Rationality helps us to be content and happy
with whatever we are by attaining Self-actualization.
Being rational helps us to realize who we are,
what we need and how we can manage the different situations of our life. So
Rationality helps us to be content and happy with what we are and helps us to
improve the self in the effort to achieve Self-actualization.
Rationality helps in having a broader
perspective and thereby helps us to find out the alternatives for better
decision making and to have a positive attitude.
When we rationalize things with
open heart and mind, we think a lot to find out what is best, practical and
applicable. Thereby it helps to have a broader perspective towards many things
and also helps us to find out the best choice among different alternatives
while making decisions and also to have a positive attitude.
Rationality helps to find out the facts through
Logical thinking and not get influenced by other thoughts including our
customs/traditions.
We are always obliged and moved with certain
set of procedures and follow certain things without much thinking and reasoning
as we are caught and influenced by our customs/traditions. Rational thinking
helps us to identify the facts with Logics and help us not to get influenced by
unobvious ideas from others.
Rationality helps to solve problems within us
and outside us.
Problems always exist within us due to our
perceptions and outside us due to our reactions towards our environment.
Rational thinking helps an individual to have wide alternatives and the problems
both inside ourselves and outside ourselves could be solved or overruled.
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