Rational people: these are their 5 characteristics
People with an analytical mind have a behavior based on long-term goals.
Rational people are not very commonThey are not very common, because after all, what we understand today by rationality is a recent invention. The fact is that the existence of these individuals usually depends on where they were born and where they received their education during their childhood and youth. Even today, adults on much of planet Earth continue to be guided by totally irrational beliefs and superstitions.
However, in spite of its rarity, when we are in front of a rational person we recognize it immediately... if we know how to pay attention to the appropriate signs.
This is what rational people are like in their day-to-day lives.
Below is a list of traits that define rational people in the way they think and relate to others. Keep in mind, however, that despite stereotypes about people with an analytical mindset, they are not robots, they are not robots.. Someone who is rational can also be very emotional at certain times; the difference is in the way emotions are regulated.
1. They wait for the best moment to make important decisions
It is very common that, in practice, the first moment in which we have to make a choice or a decision coincides with a moment in which we are very emotionally activated.
Let's think, for example, when we are informed that we have been accepted to a prestigious university located outside our country: if we get carried away by euphoria, we may accept the place and start making expenses for the transfer before considering whether we have enough savings to opt for that route, or if there are other responsibilities to attend to in our city of residence.
That is why rational people do not rush into making relevant decisions, at least not if they believe there is an opportunity to do so.At least if they believe that there is an emotional state that is biasing their interpretation of the facts.
2. They know that emotion and rationality are inseparable.
Even the most rational people are aware that human beings cannot pretend to be robots, purely objective entities that analyze facts coldly and detach themselves from the facts. To believe otherwise would be to have no defenses for prevent cognitive biases and falling into a dogmatism according to which nothing is debatable.
Thus, by taking into account that emotions influence both where our attention is focused and the conclusions reached when analyzing that selected information, rational people have the opportunity to retrace their steps and ask themselves if they made any mistakes in their way of reasoning.
3. They believe in the power of consensus
No matter how objective and rational we pretend to be, we do not have immediate access to the truth. That is why consensus helps us to better understand what is happening. Why? Because by combining ideas and points of view, new explanations and solutions to questions emerge. and solutions to questions.
Thus, rationality implies, by force, the exchange of points of view and debate. It is not a linear thought process carried out by a single person, for a very simple reason: being human means having access to a very limited amount of information and not having the time to learn everything about reality. not having the time to learn everything about reality.. There will always be someone who knows more than we do about a particular subject, and the most reasonable thing to do is to listen to what they have to say.
4. They experience their social relationships in a constructive way.
Tending towards rationality means that, when faced with the possibility of a fight with a friend or family member, we do not act out of spite, not acting out of resentment and the desire for revenge..
Thus, the way in which these disputes are managed is based on the fact that the objective is not to make our actions correspond to what is being felt, but to what should be. This is an important nuance that, although it does not imply that you will not make the other person suffer (if you assume that an exemplary punishment will make a similar situation) avoids many unnecessary dramas, since an emotional reaction increases the chances of an emotional response from the other person.
5. They try to anticipate risks
Another defining characteristic of rational people is that they do not easily give in to their impulses. they do not easily give in to their impulsesBefore taking actions that may compromise someone's well-being, they consider the risks and benefits.
Of course, this is a relative characteristic, since no human being is capable of constantly stopping to think about what the consequences of his or her actions may be in the medium and long term. However, rational people do this much more often than others, and they are particularly adept at detecting those moments when it is worthwhile to stop and think and not give in to immediate desires.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)