Human Irrationality: A Deep Dive into Behaviors

Socrates famously said, “All I know is that I know nothing.” One of the greatest Western philosophers in the history of the world realized our human foolishness.

The human mind transformed the world. With the power of thought, we created culture. The social world, with all its complexities, has made survival increasingly difficult—a by-product of this fabulous mind. Whether we like complexity or not, it exists. We must compete with other complex beings within the rules established by culture. Often, overtime, the rules begin to divide, pushing some up to the top, while trampling on unfortunate others.

Key Definition:

Human irrationality refers to the tendency of individuals to make decisions and take actions that deviate from logical reasoning or sound judgment. This phenomenon encompasses a wide range of behaviors, such as cognitive biases, emotional influences, and irrational beliefs. From making impulsive purchases to holding unfounded prejudices, human irrationality manifests in various aspects of everyday life.

​Introduction

Integrity teaches, we work for equitable change, keeping opportunity available; but changes to cultural norms usually are subtle, often unrecognizable, while waiting for the utopia of equality, we must survive. The growing poverty spreading through the large cities of our wealthy nation sorrows me. This nothing new to this world. History of almost all societies exposes an ugly division between the haves and have-nots.

In our complexity, and great discoveries, we still, as a society, suffer from this great divide. We may ignorantly blame poverty on individuals and glorify the successful as benefactors of their own genius. But this story is incomplete. Wealth and power beget more wealth and power. Some are lucky, some are blessed, while many hard-working intelligent people merely survive. The poor are not exempt from responsibility. However, often the cause of their poverty are beyond their control.

​Some suffer from the karma of their own making; their actions beget more sorrows and more troubles. No matter where we assign blame, the problem still exists, and people suffer.

Many Causes Behind Our Current Circumstances

Childhood socialization, fortunate or unfortunate encounters, choices, and millions of other unknown factors combine, creating the circumstances of our lives. Many people face the complexity of living with ineffective tools and undeveloped skills; ill prepared and unschooled, they are unable to effectively navigate the stormy waters of modern life. We quickly abandon them, blame their hurt on their own addictions, busying our mind with our tiny lives, protecting our sensitivities from their tears.

We seek patterns. Identifying patterns assists with future predictions. However, in our unconscious efforts to unveil the pattern we see ones that don’t exist. Many of life happenings depend on so many factors our limited thinking capacity could never grasp the hidden patterns.

Antonio Damasio, pioneering neuroscientist and developer of the somatic marker hypothesis, recognizes that “irrationality” is the enemy to prediction. However, he adds, “Even if our reasoning strategies were perfectly tuned, it appears, they would not cope well with the uncertainty and complexity of personal and social problems” (Damasio, 2005).

We attribute our success to personal characteristics. Accordingly, we point to grit, patience, wisdom and hard work as the driver of achievement. Our beliefs in the power of self-determination reinforces self-confidence; we find solace in possessing the ability to conquer the world. But this view is short-sighted. We must dig deeper, asking, “What motivates the desire to achieve? Where does the self-discipline to change originate?”

Baruch Spinoza suggested we feel free because we know our desires; but that freedom is not absolute; we know nothing about the underlying motivations stimulating those desires.

​​The Foolishness of Wisdom

The factors intensifying desires, combining forces from inside and out until the explode into action often lie hidden. William Shakespeare aptly stated, “A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.” Our understanding of the human predicament supposes a much greater degree of self-empowerment than exists.

Our mind detects order from ambiguous stimuli where order is absent. However, this belief has a positive effect on action. When we believe we are empowered—the creator of our own success, we courageously venture further into the unknowns. We seek novel solutions to problems. This personal deception of strength creates an evolutionary advantage. We think, we perform, and we create.

But again, just because a characteristic provides an evolutionary advantage doesn’t imply infallibility. We create fictional stories that succor our need for control. We do this by giving strength to personal actions where our personal greatness if only a small factor, or even perhaps not a factor at all. Consequently, we lie to ourselves, ignoring large inheritances, fortunate timing, or just plain stupid luck that outweighed our own ignorance. In psychology, we refer to this as the fundamental attribution error. Basically, we attribute our successes to skills and our failures to bad luck. However, when evaluating others, we attribute their success to luck and failure to character traits.

Life Circumstances and Skill

Sometimes the children of the very wealthy possess less wit, intelligence and skill than majority of the working class; they are sickening wealthy none-the-less.  We are no better, we may claim, “I live in a home because I’m wonderful; they live under the bridge because they are terrible.”

​Our judgment ignorantly skipping over the unknown contributing factors to our blessing and their curse. The judgments cruelly blame the down trodden for their own dire conditions; we point to a single missing trait and self-righteously blame the individual, disregarding the massive impact of unknown factors that always are present.

​Simultaneously Holding Different Perspectives

Wisdom demands we must approach life from two different perspectives. Our minds still need the security of order, identifying contributing causes and the effects. We gain wisdom from identifying associations between action of consequence. This knowledge creates a map for action, giving direction, becoming co-creators of our futures. But we must also acknowledge our foolishness; life is too complex to clearly define every cause. The unknowns bias judgments and create division.

​​Self-Confirming Beliefs

Life often diverts from expectations. The unknowns exert influence and the expectations fail to materialize. We feel frustration and disappointment when reality plays outside of our rigid borders of beliefs.

When threatened, we tenaciously seek security from rigidness. Our mind creates protective reasoning that explains away hostile evidence. A quick ad hoc explanation quickly relieves discomfort. Instead of gaining knowledge, we hold to beliefs that foster security.

Human Stupidity

We must accept our stupidity. We often rush towards destruction. The signs are obvious but we exclude ourselves from the warnings. Historian Yuval Harari says the study of the past has taught him an important lesson “We should never underestimate human stupidity” (Huang, 2018).

David Hume asks:

“Who, on the other hand, is not deeply mortified with reflecting on his own folly and dissoluteness, and feels not a secret sting or compunction whenever his memory presents any past occurrence, where he behaved with stupidity of ill-manners” (Hume, 1751).

We will never completely rid ourselves of faulty beliefs. We are meaning-making machines. Meaning creates the order we need to explore. We wouldn’t survive in a random and chaotic world if we approached every experience completely detached from the past. The power of our mind thrives on meaning, predicting and preparing for the future. Without the complexity of thought, the conscious mind would serve no survival purposes. Many happenings can be ordered, providing meaningful information to direct us toward complex goals.

However, the meaning we find has limitations. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche wrote:

“Occasionally we find certain solutions of problems which make strong beliefs for us; perhaps they are henceforth called ‘convictions.’ Later on—one sees in them only footsteps to self-knowledge, guideposts to the problem which we ourselves ARE—or more correctly to the great stupidity which we embody” (Nietzsche, 1886).

Limiting the Irrationality

We aren’t helplessly condemned to a life of irrationality. However, it will continually interfere. We can expose some of out thinking errors.

Dan Ariely, a leading behavioral economist and expert on irrational decision-making, wrote:

“We can actively improve on our irrational behaviors. We can start by becoming aware of our vulnerabilities. With everything you do, in fact, you should train yourself to question your repeated behaviors” (Ariely, 2010).

We can plan, making connections we may have missed. Our ability to plan depends on the ability to make connections between action and consequence; In psychology, we refer to this ability as episodic foresight. However, even though we logically plan, our plans rely on incomplete and random data. Our picture of ourselves, of our abilities, and how those play out in the future are woefully flawed. As Nietzsche says only ‘guideposts.’ Our meanings need continual updating.

Associated Concepts

• Cognitive Heuristics: These are mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that the human mind uses to simplify complex decision-making processes. These heuristics allow individuals to make quick judgments and decisions based on limited information and cognitive resources.
• Selective Information Processing: This refers to filtering and interpreting incoming data to align with existing beliefs. This unconscious process aims to manage cognitive load and maintain emotional balance, but can also lead to bias and limited perspectives.
• Confabulations: This refers to the fabricated reasoning we use to explain our behavior. Often, confabulation is an unconscious and self-serving process.
• Dunning-Kruger Effect: This is a cognitive bias where people with low ability overestimate themselves while those with high ability underestimate. This impacts decision-making and self-awareness in various areas. It cautions against overconfidence and the need for continual learning and self-doubt.
• Confirmation Bias: This bias refers to how individuals favor information that confirms their existing beliefs while disregarding contradictory evidence. This bias impacts decision-making, promotes social polarization, and reinforces stereotypes.
• Availability Bias: This bias is a cognitive heuristic that significantly influences decision-making by causing individuals to base judgments on easily accessible or recent information, often leading to inaccurate assessments of event probability, risk, or importance.
• Reconstructing Memories: This refers to the process by which memories are recalled, and sometimes altered, during retrieval. This phenomenon can be influenced by various factors, such as external suggestions, emotions, and the passage of time. It is a key concept in understanding the fallibility of human memory and its susceptibility to distortion.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

As we navigate the intricate tapestry of human behavior, it becomes increasingly clear that our journey is not just about seeking answers but also embracing the questions that challenge our understanding. The exploration of human irrationality reveals a profound truth: within our flaws lies an opportunity for growth and connection. Each misstep serves as a reminder of our shared humanity, inviting us to approach one another with empathy rather than judgment. By acknowledging the complex interplay between circumstance and choice, we can foster a culture where kindness prevails over blame—a world where each person’s story is valued and understood.

In this ongoing quest for insight, let us commit to being both students and teachers in the realm of psychology. Embracing our own vulnerabilities allows us to engage more deeply with those around us, creating bonds that transcend superficial divides. As we learn from history’s lessons on folly and wisdom, may we cultivate an environment rich in curiosity and compassion—one that empowers every individual to thrive amidst life’s uncertainties. Together, let’s embark on this journey toward greater awareness and understanding, transforming not only ourselves but also the world around us into a landscape where knowledge truly thrives.

Last Update: November 21, 2025

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References:

Ariely, Dan (2010). Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. Harper Perennial; Revised and Expanded ed. edition. ISBN 10: 0061353248
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Damasio, Antonio (2005). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Penguin Books; Reprint edition. ISBN-10: ‎014303622X
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Huang, Eustance (2018). ‘Never underestimate human stupidity,’ says historian whose fans include Bill Gates and Barack Obama. CNBC. Published: 7-15-2018; Accessed: 5-7-2023. Website: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/13/never-underestimate-human-stupidity-says-historian-and-author.html
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Hume, David (1751/1983). An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals. ‎Hackett Publishing; Copyright 1983 edition. ISBN-10: 0915145464
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Nietzsche, Friedrich (1886/2014). Beyond Good and Evil. ‎Heritage Illustrated Publishing. ISBN-10: ‎0679724656
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