I would agree that the average person is too sentiment-driven. Rational thought is unquestionably beneficial in many circumstances. But I take issue with the ab

I would agree that the average person is too sentiment-driven. Rational thought is unquestionably beneficial in many circumstances. But I take issue with the absolutist position that reason is always the best tool for the job. When I subscribed to that way of thinking, I was more interested in winning the argument than being compassionate. I saw the world in black-and-white terms, and I was proud of it. The problem, of course, is absolutism in any form. In answer to your other question, what triggered the change for me was an interest in Buddhism/Taoism and taking a psychoactive substance (LSD) for the first time. I realized that reason is a tool, not a worldview, and it isn't always the right tool for the job. Specifically, it's often the wrong tool for interacting with other people, because it leads to this mindset where you're always judging everyone. If someone says something you don't agree with, they're no longer an equal. If they're homeless and begging for money, it's because they're lazy, or because of some societal factor. Analyzing people through that lens removes their humanity. Some people choose to live that way, but I no longer do.