How honest are you with yourself? Do you deceive yourself much? How do you know?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_(psychology)
I have caught myself giving persuasive reasons to justify my actions that appeared to be valid, but that I found, after reflection or sudden insight, not to be the real motivating reasons behind my actions. Rationalization is a kind of defense mechanism posited by Freud and accepted by many, if not most, if not all psychologists.
I don’t doubt that I rationalize. But sometimes I’m not sure if I am rationalizing or not. I can be very convincing to myself. Is there any way to know for certain that I am being genuine or not?
This dilemma seems to parallel other famous skeptical dilemmas:
I know that I dream.
How do I tell the different between being awake and being in a dream?
How do I know that I am not dreaming right now?
I know that I rationalize.
How do I tell the difference between an honest justification and a rationalized one?
How do I know that when I justify ‘x’ I am not rationalizing?
I think it is easy to say to the former of the two skeptics… “For all I know, I may all be dreaming this very moment. But it serves no purpose and answers no questions to think much about the possibility. Therefore it is unproductive and silly to carry on this line of questioning and let the idea bother us.”
But I don’t think it is as easy to dismiss the latter of the two skeptics… “For all I know, I may be rationalizing this very moment. But it serves no purpose and answers no questions to think much about the possibility. Therefore it is unproductive and silly to carry on this line of questioning and let the idea bother us.”
…because it is actually very useful and enlightening to know the real reasons behind our actions, and it is therefore important to question and reflect on whether or not our justifications are rationalizations and why.
But if we are to look into our own motivation and reasoning…how do we know what is genuine and what is self-deception?