Rational is Subjective

The word Rational is an adjective (a quality of something), like rational thinking, rational behavior or rational disposition, which means such a thinking or behavior that is based on reason and not emotions. You can link the two with an “R” (Rational, Reason). Anything that has its roots in reason is rational. That is what I have learnt about the word Rational by exploring two or three dictionaries.

Since, Rational has its roots in Reason, from which the word Reasoning has derived, so let’s take a look at the word Reason. Reason, simply, means the cause - the birthplace of something.

To understand this tiny little concept of reason, consider this conversation:

Father: You missed your class yesterday.
Son: Yes, I left late for the class.

Father: That’s what I am asking. Why were you late?
Son: I couldn’t wakeup earlier.

Father: Why?
Son: I kept watching a movie all night.

Father: That’s stupid!

In the above conversation, the son missed a class yesterday about which his father is upset and wants to know about the reason. The son tells that he left the class lately. This statement is the reason given by the son for missing the class, but his father knows that this reason is not actually the birthplace of the incident (Why? Because of the father’s experience). So, he asks again for the reason for getting late (the reason of the reason?). The son tells that he was late because he could not wakeup earlier. Another reason with which the father isn’t satisfied (because he knows this is quite a sufficient cause but there is still that he should know), so he asks again for the reason (the reason of the reason of the reason?). The son says that he was watching a movie the whole night, and the father is now satisfied; for him this is the birthplace of the incident.

Are you sure that watching a movie for the entire night is the actual cause of the son’s missing the class? If yes, then this is the birthplace of the incident. If no, there is something more to look around then, right? By the way, I also think that this isn’t the birthplace of the incident. I will get back to this later.

Did you notice that how much this word Rational is stuffed with objectivity? I bet you notice that! Look at the objective nature of the word rational:

 Son missed the class, because
 He left the house late, because
 He got up late, because
 He was watching the movie all night.

How rational was his action, everything he did had a reason.

My question is, if everything was rational, then why his father said “That’s stupid”? Didn’t he know what a rational behavior is?

I think now we should move towards other meanings of the word Rational.

A rational activity is not only based on a reason; but also on strong linkage (between the activity and its reason). And remember, the reason should be socially acceptable and easily recognizable– because, that’s the only way the linkage between the reason and activity could be called strong.

Leaving a class just for the sake of movie is not a socially acceptable activity; therefore, it is an irrational activity in the eyes of the society. But, for the boy it was totally rational because his father never gave him much time and “was a drunkard and a fiend”. So, to amuse himself he watches movies – and that’s totally acceptable for the boy (and, probably, for the society too). For the father, the reason-activity linkage is very week and therefore irrational, for the son the reason-activity linkage is very strong and therefore completely rational.

The objective fact is one – the incident is one – the truth of the incident is one, but for one it is rational and for the other it is irrational. What’s all this irrationality?!

Actually, the confusion rises because, we normally believe that rationality is an objective reality; whereas it is completely subjective and based on one’s beliefs, ideas and experiences.

May be, even after knowing that the child misses him, the father would still consider all this activity irrational, perhaps, because he thinks that his child should have discussed this matter with his father instead of finding his own ways to relieve himself of the distress.

As we know of the truth and objectivity that these two words have single identity. A chair is a chair for every single being on earth, and that’s the chair’s objective nature. All objectivity is like that. If anything stands as an objective truth, it must pass the test of single identity. Unfortunately, Rationality does not pass this test. What is rational for me is not rational for you.

To sum up the word Rational, I would say following words:

Rational is an adjective that is subjective in nature and may vary from individual to individual, based on personal beliefs, ideas and experiences. And if you start probing for the reasons beneath the rational, you might find infinity of them, but you would never find its birthplace. The reason is simple. The truth of a rational thinking, behaviour or anything does not lie inside that thinking or behaviour, but in your head. You hold something to be rational, and that becomes rational. And the last thing, Rational Thinking is the only thinking that totally disregards the bare truth!

Just to give another example, think about the “rational thinking” about our religious beliefs.