Thinking Traps Part 4: Emotional Reasoning 💭

@ATP  great questions that we must find anyway to avoid digressing too far from the original post on Emotional Reasoning.  On God, I would defer to what is in Wikipedia about the Love of God covering multiple religions.  

Separately, I agree on your view about rational obsession.  Harmony is a great dream and goal to work towards.

Thanks!

@Maryam  Thanks for pointing out what we occasionally do, rationalize our decisions to lessen dissatisfaction from dissonance.    Most of us are driven by our emotions until we become mindful of it, and proficient at not letting emotion to dictate and cause oneself harm  I am glad to see that @Vasavi L am able to master it and not be stuck with the negative ones.

Since religion is mentioned in this thread, I would draw up what appears to me to be totally rational about suffering in the Four Noble Truth.  The first truth, Life is Suffering, is a fact of life.  The second truth, Suffering has cause, is as basic as Newton’s law.  The third truth, Suffering can be ceased, is basic logic.  And the fourth truth, Eight Fold Path is a method.  Totally rational, isn’t it?

Now, I also know about Mindfulness Meditation is an effective clinical treatment with many studies validating it ever since Jon Kabat Zinn introduced this protocol more than three decades ago.  Along the way, similar protocols have been introduced to help people to address problems, including but not limited to addiction, violence, PTSD etc.  Yet, not insignificant number of religious people reject it for fear of their faith be harmed.  So, there are plenty of case studies about emotional reasoning is not rational.

On the other end of the spectrum, emotion for most individual is a factor in rational decision if these individuals mindfully do so with full recognition of the pros and cons, and accept the outcome, including negative impact to their loved ones.

By the way, @ATP, on your Hint:  God and women are to be loved, not to understand:-)  

@Maryam 

In my point of view emotions are vital part of human connection. People who are struggling with an anxiety or depression, it's not easy to overcome with their emotion but they can control their emotions. Even I also get depressed, it's not easy to overcome for me, but I can able to control the emotions through mindfulness meditation to easily overcome it with positive thinking.

@ATP, this is probably why a discussion on religion is often avoided although it's not a forbidden topic. 

Thanks for analyzing how religious beliefs can shape thinking patterns from your perspective! Your post reminded me of Russell’s critique of religious beliefs: “Religion is based primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes. Fear is the basis of the whole thing – fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death.”

Religion is a tough topic to approach especially in a community like ours where people with all sorts of religious and non-religious beliefs might find it a sensitive topic. On the other hand, the wide range of backgrounds and beliefs can potentially make it a good place for exchanging ideas on this topic (in a friendly manner, of course! ). So, I’d like to invite others who might hold supporting or opposing views to join in. 

@ele81946 I think Rational thought is meant for the ability to select what to focus on, but that Rationality (meant as Analytical thought), it too comes “as a consequence” of Contemplation. I mean, does anyone need to force digestion? no, because it is a consequence of eating. 

Let’s agree on terms. Contemplation may mean “watching clouds wasting time” (how I became an artist); nevertheless as “Observation without Thought” is the way how Nothing turns into Many: it is the way we start splitting an Object into many elements (Brainstorming) and start see a hidden pattern. Once we define this pattern (Abstraction), we can also rearrange the elements in a new shape. This is the Synthesis part and closes an organic-approach cycle. 

But for this to work, we need not to have unconscious presuppositions that make us blind. Because otherwise, Rationality takes the control over the organic approach and implements obsessive behaviors.

I know a proverb: Hunger makes Eyes larger than the Stomach. I think a lot of common personality disorders can be summed up this way.

The only “Rationality” here, is in creating false explanations to replace the originary reason, which in most cases it is the need of being esteemed by others , which means that we are not doing something we like: we forgot how to play with things and we slowly become “result-obsessed” (for this result to be judged by someone else), rather than “process-enthusiasts”, hence cooperation-prone.

Schools need to have this concept clear instead than treating personal hobbies as something that hampers learning.  

PS -- If I didn't already accross your series, I think this is the part that best deserves to quote a speech about Religions.

When talking about God, people often becomes nervous, rigid, unpleasant. Why is that? 

Because differently than for Santa, who cares, and from Cinderella -- was she the one eaten by the wolf? I am taught that I cannot rearrange stories about God. Because if this system of ethical beliefs changes, the Evil will hit me and my society.

But who said that religious SOCIAL VALUES must be necessarily accompanied by Superstition? because fear is the only reasonable way to control people, and in order for this to work, the idea of Divine punishment must be thrown in children's heart.

"I am God feared" = I am a trustable person, I am a good citizen.

When God is an image of a Parent that gives prizes or punishment, my reasoning will always cope with the fear of not being feeded as a consequence, and I must mirror back people's expectations. Otherwise I am cast away, dead. That's why people goes nut for God. 

You may say -- well, we're supposed to be a little beyond that, no? 

1) Say God = Money, and this was the first reply
2) Covid unveiled a strong tendency for people to head back to these beliefs

So is that a conscious or unconscious reaction? I think it's just illegal. Could we one day write it down clear that teaching superstition to children causes neurosis, therefore is a form of violence. If you also know what's going on in France right now.

But I’m not atheist. I think atheism can’t exist: we biologically are made to chase facts, to go beyond borders, I think God is right there, in my being curious and hungry, and Faith is there, when doing it for real. Not great things, just little significant steps. God is a tiny sparkle.

@Maryam 

Nice topic In my point of view rational thinking is a capacity to make sense of things and use a logical way to establish the facts. And one being rational is what do you want and what do you actually need to get in the correct way.