{"id":100734,"date":"2023-04-27T15:23:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T19:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=100734"},"modified":"2023-05-02T10:44:16","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T14:44:16","slug":"how-to-be-rational","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-be-rational\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be Rational: 3 Ways to Anchor Yourself in Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Do you see things as they truly are, or do strong emotions and desires cloud your vision? Do you care too much about what others think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert Greene believes that rationality will help you live a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/living-a-fulfilled-life\/\">fulfilling life<\/a> that&#8217;s grounded in reality. To view and approach your life more rationally, he advises that you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/control-your-emotions\/\">control your emotions<\/a>, develop a stronger sense of self, and see things through a neutral lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep reading to learn how to be rational by employing these three strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-control-your-emotions\">#1: Control Your Emotions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to learn how to be rational, you must first <strong>know how to control your emotions<\/strong>. Greene explains that it takes more effort to think rationally than emotionally\u2014emotions are strong and cause us to react quickly, preventing us from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/logical-decision-making\/\">making rational decisions<\/a>. The first step in controlling your emotions is to accept this truth of human nature. Because we are human, we all have flaws, inaccurate beliefs, and emotional compulsions, such as the desire to be liked or gain approval. When you acknowledge these tendencies, you gain the awareness and distance to better manage them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/awaken-the-giant-within\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Awaken the Giant Within<\/em><\/a>, Tony Robbins says that you can <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/awaken-the-giant-within\/chapter-8#process-your-emotions-in-a-healthy-way\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">better control your emotions in the future by learning from them<\/a> when they arise. To do this, put a name to your emotion but don\u2019t judge it as good or bad. Instead, approach a negative emotion as if you\u2019re investigating it\u2014ask yourself whether you can learn anything from your experience, what beliefs might have caused you to feel that way, and what actions you can take to resolve your negative feelings. Robbins says that when you reflect on your emotions, you have a reference for how to handle similar situations in the future.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#2: Develop a Stronger Sense of Self<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, Greene recommends developing a stronger sense of self so that you\u2019ll care less about what others think.<strong> <\/strong>Since we\u2019re social creatures, we value the approval of others, which may cause us to feel insecure or anxious at work or around our friends. However, when you build your own standards of success instead of seeking approval, you\u2019ll feel less emotionally attached to the opinions and expectations of others. Practice feeling genuine joy for the successes of others while building the discipline to work on and feel proud of your own skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#3: Use a Neutral Lens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, Greene advises learning to view situations as neither positive nor negative.<strong> <\/strong>He adds that situations are <em>naturally <\/em>neutral\u2014it\u2019s your emotions that make them good or bad. With this in mind, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/dont-take-anything-personally\/\">don\u2019t take things personally<\/a>. Instead, treat difficult people or situations as curious puzzles to unravel or a learning experience. Try viewing them neutrally as you would a neutral object, such as a plant or building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Your Self-Image Affects How You Interpret Situations<\/strong><br><br>In <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/psycho-cybernetics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Psycho-Cybernetics<\/em><\/a>, Maxwell Maltz refers to your sense of self as your <em>self-image<\/em> and defines it as your <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/psycho-cybernetics\/chapter-2#what-is-your-self-image\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thoughts about yourself and your past experiences<\/a>. He explains that these thoughts don\u2019t have to be true for them to affect you\u2014you only need to <em>believe<\/em> that they\u2019re true, which is why you can fall prey to the false beliefs that Greene discusses. For example, you might think having a lot of friends reflects how likable you are, and this belief affects how you act and interpret other people\u2019s words or actions. Like Greene, Maltz encourages you to develop a stronger sense of self (a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/positive-self-image\/\">positive self-image<\/a>), and he suggests you do so by visualizing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-become-the-person-you-want-to-be-2\/\">the person you want to be<\/a> and recalling memories of your past successes.<br><br>Maltz also agrees with Greene\u2019s suggestion to view situations neutrally, and he explains why it\u2019s important to do so: <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/psycho-cybernetics\/chapter-6#method-2-practice-reflecting-em-only-em-on-the-facts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Regularly thinking negative thoughts can become a harmful habit<\/a> that causes you to misinterpret more and more situations negatively. Negative thoughts can become habits because the way you interpret situations affects how you act, which, in turn, <em>reinforces <\/em>your preexisting interpretation. For example, if you think your colleagues dislike you, you might be distant and aloof, which makes it harder for them to connect with you and reinforces your belief that they dislike you. To combat this habit, Maltz suggests you question negative thoughts or feelings that pop up by considering whether there\u2019s a more rational explanation or whether you might have misinterpreted the situation.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you see things as they truly are, or do strong emotions and desires cloud your vision? Do you care too much about what others think? Robert Greene believes that rationality will help you live a fulfilling life that&#8217;s grounded in reality. To view and approach your life more rationally, he advises that you control your emotions, develop a stronger sense of self, and see things through a neutral lens. Keep reading to learn how to be rational by employing these three strategies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":100740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,9,43],"tags":[998],"class_list":["post-100734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-philosophy","category-psychology","category-self-improvement","tag-the-daily-laws","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Be Rational: 3 Ways to Anchor Yourself in Reality - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Robert Greene says you can live a fulfilling life that&#039;s grounded in reality. 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