There is one thing that I do similar to everybody else and more of it than everybody else. That particular verb is “Reason”. I reason everything out. Why I should do this? Why that is incorrect? Why this is the way to go?... All day long, I reason and I have been doing it for many years and it has been a source of power to me, something that I felt was my very own, something that could not be taken away from me and something that was dependable, trustworthy for once.
But then again, I reason FOR some option on some day and then I reason AGAINST it two days later. And this I do quite often. With absolutely no change in circumstances, my reason changes. If circumstances were the variables which the reason was suppose to compute and give me the output, then the reason has proved extremely unreliable. What I thought was my source of power, I realized, is influenced by a variable which I wouldn’t want to acknowledge: “My preference”. My reason works according to what I prefer and helps me convince myself of the “preferable” options. My mind, being the way it is, has helped my reason to do a fantastic job at this for many years.
And hence, I feel that those who, in their own opinion, have trust worthy reasoning skills have no reason to trust their reason at all. For trusting reason is unreasonable. What was trustworthy and dependable has proved itself to be (again through high quality reasoning) absolutely incompetent. The fact that I am writing this proves that it has self-destructed. My reason has proved my reason unreasonable… The source of all my powers… gone!!!
3 comments:
undoubtedly, the best so far. beautifully written and well etched out..
You made me introspect. thanks
I really cant add any dimensions to this, I dont need to
While I agree with you that most people (including me) do this wonderful thing called "Reason" {and that's one of the abilities/instincts that not only differentiates us from animals, but also makes us "Human" (the "Human" that's not an animal)}, and while I too share your sentiment that I consider "Reason" a very dependable strength, I have certain qualms about the general reliability of the power of "Reasoning", as suggested by you.
I find it difficult to believe that "Reason" and "Preference" have no coupling. Yes, at times we encounter a situation (particularly when we're to make a choice) where we "know" (and this "know" is actually the "Reason") that we should be choosing/doing a particular thing, yet, out of our "preference", we don't go for it. In this case the word "preference" starts looking like a cousin of the word "desire". Essentially, we're guided based on our desires (which, in turn, are based on our unreasonable priorities) and not based on pragmatism.
But at times, our "preference" is guided by "reason" alone. These are the cases when there are no unreasonable priorities causing us to prefer something we shouoldn't be preferring. This is where the coupling between Reason and "preference" shows up.
While the above opinion is highly questionable, another thing I disagree with is the generalization (or the "suggestion") that "Reasoning" shouldn't be relied upon by those who trust it. Questioning the dependability or the absolute correctness of this beautiful power called Reasoning seems unreasonable to me, especially in light of the fact that I trust my reasoning pretty well and neither has it betrayed me in general, nor do I foresee a time when I shall begin to doubt it.
Nice post by the way. Keep writing more of such interesting and thought-provoking posts. And I hope 2 days down the road your "preference" makes you fall in love with your reasoning power, once again! :)
RS
makes sense!
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