Rationalization

Other blog posts

• Fake Justification by Eliezer_YudkowskyEliezer Yudkowsky

• Motivated skepticism, Motivated cognition
• Motivated stopping and Motivated continuationFiltered evidence
• Fake simplicity
• Hope, Oops

• The Bottom Line
• What Evidence Filtered Evidence?
• Rationalization
• A Rational Argument

ARationalization is the act of finding reasons to believe what one has already decided they want to believe. It is a decidedly terrible way to arrive at true beliefs.

“Rationalization.” What a curious term for the very opposite and antithesis of rationality, as if lying were called "truthization".term. I would call it a wrong word. You cannot "rationalize"“rationalize” what is not already rational.

Rationality starts from evidence, and then crunches forward through belief updates, in order to output a probable conclusion. "Rationalization" starts from a conclusion, and then works backward to arrive at arguments apparently favoring that conclusion. Rationalization argues for a side already selected; rationality tries to choose between sides.

Rationalization can be conscious or unconscious. It can take on a blatant, conscious form, in which you are aware that you want a particular side to be correct and you deliberately compose arguments for only that side, looking over the evidence and consciously filtering which facts will be presented. Or it can occur at perceptual speeds, without conscious intent or conscious awareness.

Defeating rationalization - or even discovering rationalizations - is a lifelong battle for the aspiring rationalist.

Blog posts

• The Bottom Line
• What Evidence Filtered Evidence?
• as if “lying” were called “truthization.” – Rationalization
• A Rational Argument
• Fake Justification
• Is That Your True Rejection?

See also

• Motivated skepticism, motivated cognition
• Filtered evidence
• Fake simplicity
• Self-deception
• Litany of Gendlin
• Occam's Imaginary Razor
• Hope, oops

Notable Posts

• The Bottom Line
• What Evidence Filtered Evidence?
• Rationalization
• A Rational Argument
• Fake Justification
• Is That Your True Rejection?

Rationality starts from evidence, and then crunches forward through belief updates, in order to output a probable conclusion. "Rationalization" starts from a conclusion, and then works backward to arrive at arguments apparently favoring that conclusion. Rationalization argues for a side already selected; rationality tries to choose between sides.

Rationalization can be conscious or unconscious. It can take on a blatant, conscious form, in which you are aware that you want a particular side to be correct and you deliberately compose arguments for only that side, looking over the evidence and consciously filtering which facts will be presented. Or it can occur at perceptual speeds, without conscious intent or conscious awareness.

Defeating rationalization - or even discovering rationalizations - is a lifelong battle for the aspiring rationalist.

Notable Posts

• The Bottom Line
• What Evidence Filtered Evidence?
• Rationalization
• A Rational Argument
• Fake Justification
• Is That Your True Rejection?

See Also

• Motivated skepticism, motivated cognition
• Filtered evidence
• Fake simplicity
• Self-deception
• Litany of Gendlin
• Occam's Imaginary Razor
• Hope, oops

• Fake Justification by
• Eliezer YudkowskyIs That Your True Rejection?

Other blog posts

• Fake Justification by Eliezer_Yudkowsky

• Motivated skepticism, Motivated cognition
• Motivated stopping and motivatedMotivated continuation
• Fake simplicity
• Hope, Oops

PrimaryBlog posts

Other posts

• Motivated cognitionskepticism
• , Motivated skepticismcognition
• Motivated stopping and motivated continuation
• Fake simplicity
• Hope, Oops

Related conceptsSee also

• Motivated skepticism, Motivatedmotivated cognition
• Filtered evidence
• Fake simplicity
• Self-deception
• Litany of Gendlin
• Occam's Imaginary Razor
• Hope, Oopsoops