Friday, August 15, 2008

The Rational 'should'


JOURNALIST: Ok sir my next question, what does this phrase mean? "That's cruel."

RATIONALIST: It is a subset of 'That's irrational.'

JOURNALIST: Means cruel is irrational rather than being wrong.

RATIONALIST: In first place, perceiving somebody as cruel is a prejudice in itself.

JOURNALIST: No, no sir, please don't play with words, you cannot prove wrong as right.

RATIONALIST: There is nothing right, nothing wrong. No Devil no God.

JOURNALIST: So you hate prejudices, is that what you want to imply.

RATIONALIST: I don't imply anything, assumptions and implications are the prejudices of first order, both on the part of actor, and the perceiver.

JOURNALIST: Oh…I am getting a little confused now....

RATIONALIST: You will! Just remove all the curtains of old learnings, deep-rooted believes, try to view things rationally and logically, you will feel less confused.

JOURNALIST: Oh, Rationality?

RATIONALIST: Yes.

JOURNALIST: The disease of our time. [smiles]

RATIONALIST: Another prejudice! I think we should wind up.

JOURNALIST: Second -last question! Why do we have to be rational?

RATIONALIST: Well it's rational to be rational.

JOURNALIST: Equation with no solutions.

RATIONALIST: Ok....well rationality is the best and only way of treating a life scenario.

JOURNALIST: Ahan! I'm not gonna buy it.

RATIONALIST: Well.....Personally I feel rationality is the best way to sail the ship called life.

JOURNALIST: Oh so we ‘should’ be rational. Do I need to ask the last question? [smiles]

RATIONALIST:. . . . . I will think about it.

4 comments:

Winnie the poohi said...

We have to be rational to be rational.. what if one is irrational.. how does that person thinks rationally?

Unknown said...

the point is notion of rationality is a self-contradiction, a paradox... which is brought forward by attacking one of the strong weapons used by rationality...which is 'should'

Gordon.Gekko said...

This piece almost immediately reminded me of the argument Woody Allen and Diane Keaton have over rationality in that museum in the film "Manhattan".

You do have your style; its only rational that you have a USP- something every rational mind can remember you by!

Unknown said...

Thanks for rrading thru Gordon, I believe rationality too can be abused and it many times is.