rationalization
24
7.2
- noun
- /ˌræʃənəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
- Specialized
- His rationalization for being late was that traffic was heavier than usual, even though he left home late.
- denial and rationalization
- rationalization or excuse
- self-serving rationalization
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Watch on YouTubeIt's toxic positivity, it fuels rationalizations, and it keeps you stuck.
- It's toxic positivity, it fuels rationalizations, and it keeps you stuck.
- So what was your why, not as a rationalization but as a place of understanding?
- So I kind of want to get to like the, the real why, not the rationalization why?
- With a little attention, you can see that what you feel like is decision making is actually just post hoc rationalization of cognitive chaos.
- Do you update your beliefs or do you come up with some creative rationalisation to allow yourself to maintain these beliefs?
- So what we learn in hypnosis is that almost all reasons given for the big decisions in life are rationalizations after the fact.
- Unger is Unger talks about rationalizations we give for not being moral, and he calls it futility is a rationalization.
- No, here, here is my rationalization of this.
- There's a judge or a tribunal, and your lawyer's job is to give the judge the rationalization for why they should vote for you, right?
- And then you have some kind of rationalization in your mind why it's you'll do it anyway.
Examples
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Why does this sound like a massive rationalization?
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One of the biggest things in the way of marital fidelity these days is rationalization.
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No, here, here is my rationalization of this.
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So what was your why, not as a rationalization but as a place of understanding?
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A small part of my mind told me that was rationalization.
Fiction book (1997) -
I'm sure that every mad scientist has used the exact same rationalization in their work.
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As all such rationalizations suggest, we had "done it for her own good."
Academic text (1996) -
The religious establishment has always found sufficient rationalizations to support such efforts.
Academic text (2011) -
So what we learn in hypnosis is that almost all reasons given for the big decisions in life are rationalizations after the fact.
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Despite Argentina's policy rationalizations of 1989-92, the government's role in the banking sector was still strong.
Academic text (1998)
Synonyms
149
4.0
A reason or explanation that shows an action is acceptable
78
6.0
A set of reasons that explains a decision or action
Antonyms
How Convincing
Surface Forms
Morphology
rationalization = rationalize (transparent) = rational + ize + ation
The noun names the act or result of the verb 'rationalize' (to explain or justify), a standard agent/process nominalization.
Etymology
Rationalization comes from the root ratio, meaning 'reason'. A helpful way to remember this meaning is that it is giving a 'reason' to explain or defend actions, so people sometimes make up logical-sounding reasons to justify what they did.