We are irrational beings, and rationality is a prominent figure in the equation to success. The perceptions of what it means to be successful may differ from nation to nation, culture to culture, and even from person to person. In that case, let me define success as the attainment of the ultimate rewarding outcome, as a result of your own actions. The following article addresses the human knack to be irrational, the dangers of irrational thinking and decision making and the simple rules to counteract irrational impulses.

Magical Thinking?

In a world evolving into a machine generated hub, people are clinging to humanistic elements in an absolute panic of it disappearing between the ones and zeros. “Magical thinking” is Matthew Hutson’s euphemistic term for irrational thinking. In an article by Jenna Goudreau (2012), Hutson’s work is praised, his theory being that irrational thinking and superstition could be the very thing that keeps us sane. Goudreau explains how Hudson claims magical thinking to have played a part in the history of human survival, granting a sense of comfort and control in a time when the world could not be understood.

It is ambitious to say that irrationality keeps us sane, yet I will acknowledge the therapeutic benefit of optimistic dreams in times of devastation. But “sane” is definitely not the right term for such a statement. The term “sheltered” would be better suited.

To Survive the Unknown, or to Survive the Lie

The sense of comfort and control that Goudreau addresses is a false sense of comfort, and a false sense of control. Agreed, the human race did survive for a long time feeding on their magical beliefs to some benefit. Communities are tightly bound by the threads of stories, legends, fables, magical rituals and ancient beliefs, which gives them their unique identity and provides them with a very specific way of life – this, I believe to be the upside. The problem is that the downside is not worth the risk - what about those who didn’t survive man’s history of irrational thinking – literally? The Salem women burnt alive as witches was nothing more than an act of fear that sprung directly from irrational thinking… What about the South African tragic historical story of Nongqawuse?

In April or May 1856, the teenaged Nongqawuse and her friend Nombanda went to fetch water from a pool near the mouth of the Gxarha River. When she returned, Nongqawuse told her uncle and guardian Mhlakaza, a Xhosa spiritualist, that she had met the spirits of three of her ancestors.

She claimed that the spirits had told her that the Xhosa people should destroy their crops and kill their cattle, the source of their wealth as well as food. In return the spirits would sweep the British settlers into the sea. The Xhosa would be able to replenish the granaries, and fill the kraals with more beautiful and healthier cattle. During this time many Xhosa herds were plagued with "lung sickness", possibly introduced by European cattle. Many cattle had died.

Mhlakaza repeated the prophecy to Paramount Chief Sarhili. Sarhili ordered his followers to obey the prophecy, causing the cattle-killing movement to spread to an unstoppable point. The cattle-killing frenzy affected not only the Gcaleka, Sarhili's clan, but the whole of the Xhosa nation. Historians estimate that the Gcaleka killed between 300,000 and 400,000 head of cattle.

Nongqawuse predicted that the ancestors' promise would be fulfilled on February 18, 1857, when the sun would turn red. On that day the sun rose the same colour as every other day, and the prophecy was not realised. Initially, Nongqawuse's followers blamed those who had not obeyed her instructions, but they later turned against her.

In the aftermath of the crisis, the population of British Kaffraria dropped from 105,000 to fewer than 27,000 due to the resulting famine. In at least one case, people were reportedly forced to resort to cannibalism. Nongqawuse was arrested by the British authorities and imprisoned on Robben Island.

In my opinion, the most dangerous form of irrational thinking and irrational decision making is that of those who subscribe to Millenarianism movements. The tragic historical story of Nongqawuse and the Xhosa tribe of the Eastern Cape holds the daunting truth of what could happen when irrationality is handed the reins. But why would people allow this to happen?

In times of desperation, helplessness and panic, “magical” beliefs shared on a group level, gives us a sense of belonging. We fear that the world familiar to us is disappearing, and discarding irrational beliefs creates craters in our identity, and we fear, “What will we throw away next.” Like demonstrated here, one irrational thought fuels a dozen justifying irrational thoughts, chasing you around in a down-ward spiral.

If mankind is desperately in-love with a fairy tale, then truth is a repulsive and heartless stranger.

It Starts With a Prediction and Ends With a Decision

The first step to everything we do lies in making a decision. There are obviously several factors to be taken into consideration before the decision can be made. The most important factor involved is that of consequences; we need to be able to predict what the consequence of a decision would be before we can evaluate if it would be a good or bad decision. The drastic extreme between success and failure lies in one’s ability to make this very prediction. The irrational thinker will predict irrational consequent results, while the rational thinker will predict rational consequent results. However, this is easier said than done. We are all victims of cognitive biases. We lie to ourselves constantly, and then lie to others about the fact that we lie to ourselves. Here is an example.

“cognitive biases—systematic tendencies to deviate from rational calculations”

The Familiarity bias: Advertising works partly because we like what we know, even if we only vaguely know it. We even choose familiar things when there are clear signals that it's not the best option (Study by Richter & Spath, 2006). - Jeremy Dean, 2011

Awareness is Key

In order to counter irrational thinking which could lead to poor decision making and even dangerous circumstances, one should take a honest look at one’s own biases. The way to identify a bias is easy. It usually involves a thought or perspective that is accompanied by a strong emotion. If your ideas are derived from broad overviews and generalisations, you should revaluate those ideas.

Another factor to seek out concerning biases is subjectivity. In a perfect world, I would tell you to take an objective approach to all factors concerning decision making, but for a human being to be 100% objective would been to drain him of his memory and emotions. Full objectivity is a myth. Therefore, simply keep a strong check on your subjective views and emotional connotations to such views. Try and view things from a 3rd person point of view as often as possible.

We live in an age where empirical evidence is available to us through the click of a button. Seek out the empirical evidence to justify your views. What you want is to create for yourself is healthy thinking habits; facts based on empirical evidence, decisions that are free of bias, generalisations, overt subjectivity and emotion, and reasonable justifications. The basic law of critical thinking is that the relationship between a claim and the given reason for making such a claim, must be a relationship that makes rational sense. To strive for success means to strive to make sense. Irrationality, as “magical” as it can be portrayed to you, are iron gates on the road to success. You have the key to unlock them.

Carla van Straten is a Writer for Sound Idea Digital. Sound Idea is a full service digital marketing agency.
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