Rationalization comes with the connotation that you are justifying something that is incorrect. You can "rationalize" a correct idea, but that's not common usag

Rationalization comes with the connotation that you are justifying something that is incorrect. You can "rationalize" a correct idea, but that's not common usage. The word is almost always used to imply that you're wrong and refuse to acknowledge it. So you could use the word "rationalize" neutrally, but most people don't use it that way and don't take it that way.