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I didn't read this as a critique to the importance or relevance of logical thinking. Nor to smart people's arrogance. But as the dangers to rationalize as a too
by soneca 12y ago
I didn't read this as a critique to the importance or relevance of logical thinking. Nor to smart people's arrogance. But as the dangers to rationalize as a tool for self-dellusion.
Depending how do you feel, how your emotions are, you might want to protect yourself from changes, from disapointments, from "everything-is-wrong-start-all-over" situations. So when you are smart, in this definition, when you have highly developed rational thinking; then you use this to create a illusion that keep you in your comfort zone. Because you can rationalize pretty much everything that happens in the world.
I would say this is not a "curse of smart people", just the particular tool these smart people, according to the author's definition, use to self-dellusion. Other people, with other intelectual resources, use their other resources to self-dellusion all the same. The point is, you have to try to find out when you are on a state of self-dellusion, whatever resource you use to prolong it. In other words, smart people may not be wise. Just as any other "kind" of people.