Being Rational is one of the most important qualities to making good/long-term decisions in life.
So how to drive ourselves to be more rational, here are some of the pointers from “The laws of human nature” book:
• Know yourself thoroughly – Your emotion thrive on being ignorant, so know yourself, and look inward.
• Examine your emotions to their roots – Whatever emotion anger, fear, greed, envy, etc., let it settle within. Dig below any trigger points to see where they started. Record in a journal if possible.
• Increase your reaction time – This comes thru practice, don’t snap immediate reactions, wait, and physically remove yourself from the place. Sleep on it for a day or two, and let it subside.
• Accept people as facts – We continually judge people, wishing they were something that they are not. We want to change them according to the way we think and act. Make acceptance of human nature as radical as possible.
• Find the optimal balance of thinking and emotion – It’s like the horse and the rider. The horse is our emotional nature continually urging us to move, but without the rider, it cannot be guided.
• Love the rational – Let’s not see the path to rationality as painful and ascetic. Let’s see more as mastering your self in a deep way.
By taming the emotional self and being rational you are less consumed by petty conflicts and considerations. Your actions are more effective, which leads to less turmoil. You have more mental space to be creative. You feel more in control.