Many philosophers have defined humans as essentially thinking creatures. Many have separated us in kind (not just degree) from animals. How important is rational thought to human nature? Think of human being who are incapable of rational thought -- how are we to understand their roles?
Kant also emphasizes choice and delayed gratification. There some interesting recent research about delayed gratification, e.g., http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer How important is planning, delaying gratification, deliberating before choosing in the lives of successful people? Consider the reverse: what happens when you cannot delay gratification and merely react to your surroundings rather than make rational choices?
Rational thought deals with understanding or thinking. It is a simple process that I like to think of in steps. You start out with experiences, opinions or facts which is the input. Then you mix this with rational thinking which is the process and you get an output or a conclusion. Rational thought has a lot to do with human nature because it relates to our experiences and in some cases, our instincts.
ReplyDeleteEveryone could improve their lives if they had more willpower. If people took more time to plan things and think things through then I believe they would make better decisions. I believe that the ability to delay gratification is important for success. It shows emotional and social maturity. However, if one cannot delay gratification and reacts to their surroundings instead of making rational decisions then they usually end up making bad choices. Depending on the situation, sometimes the bad choices can lead to unwanted consequences.
I agree this is very similar to my view on rational thought. It is a simple process that can be so mixed up and complicated by our emotions and human responses that work against our rationality. I would say that willpower is the only way to stay on the path of rational thought without becoming befuddled by the other aspects of our human nature.
DeleteRational thinking is very important to human nature. The degree in which we are able to think ahead and reason separates us from animals. Some animals do plan ahead, but not near as much as humans. This is one reason that humans can achieve such great things. Without planning or delaying gratification, actions are based off of immediate surroundings. Actions of animals often follow this pattern. The result of this is that things may be better for the short term. However, if one plans ahead, and considers the full situation before acting things will be much better in the long term.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article. I can see how the being able to be more patient is a marketable trait. However, as with all human studies the results are nowhere near conclusive. I would argue that preferring immediate gratification does not excessively imply a lack of rational thinking. There are many varibles in considering "Do I want 1(x) now or 2(x) later?" How surely am I going to get 2(x) later? Can I bank on it? I could go with the sure thing if i'm content with it. What if i am being lied to? Consider the situation in the article. What would a kid think when presented with this sort of experiment? What if the kid that "failed" the test did not trust the experimenter? What if they did not trust him to return with the second marshmallows or even return at all? Being able to trust someone is also essential to success. Teamwork requires this. However if say a parent was abusive then the child would be less likely to take the experimenter for his word and take what they know is a sure thing.
ReplyDeleteI think that rational thinking is very important for humans in general no matter what culture. Common sense is the most important thing in this world an shouldn't be as lacking as it is today.
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ReplyDeleteChelsea is right. If we had a better rational thinking society then I would say that this world would be in way better shape than it is now. There is plenty of time in the day to just stop and think rather than let our emotions get the best of us because sometimes are emotional decisions can get us into trouble.