Why I'm a Rationalist



I've only been a rationalist for about 6 years now (give or take a year of deep reflection and questioning). But I've come to find that a strong and steady rationalism almost always negates superstition, and good critical thinking skills make requisite the challenge for me to find valid reasons for believing in something other than it being something that is ubiquitous among society and thus acceptable to believe for no other reasons.

Striving toward being more rational has not always been easy. It has often made me the black sheep, the odd duck out, or even the lone wolf, depending on the context and the type of issues I am contending with. It has forced me to take the contrarian position more times than I can count. It has caused me to side with unpopular minority views which have, in turn, made me unpopular with others. But becoming a rationalist has improved my life by noteworthy and substantial leaps and bounds over what I used to be--a superstitious, uncritical, know-it-all know-nothing, boob.

But I'm glad I'm no longer that guy. I never want to go back to being that guy. That guy didn't know shit. And, well, the truth is I'm extremely proud to be able to teach my kids good critical thinking skills and the values of rationalism rather than merely feeding them superstition and telling them to accept everything as I do just because that's the so-called "right way."

As the Buddha once avowed, and I'm paraphrasing, you can't teach people what truth is, you can only show them how to come to the truth on their own. And, believe you me, that requires good critical thinking skills and a call to rational thought.



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