# Reasoning is suffused with emotion

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 22, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353 "2011-04-22T14:04:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/1 "2011-04-22T14:04:55Z")

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Many recent papers point out that “Reasoning is suffused with emotion” but [here is a recent thorough article with links to studies.](http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney)

This should help explain why so many of us, like the White Queen in Alice’s Wonderland, can believe six impossible things before breakfast. 🆒

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**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/2 "2011-04-22T16:10:05Z")

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Fascinating article. It communicates many principles which I’ve been innately aware of for some time in a concise, thoroughly researched manner.

People just aren’t logical, and they aren’t reluctant to make sub optimal decisions in order to preserve the status quo of social posturing and self-identity.

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**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/3 "2011-04-22T17:55:09Z")

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It’s not even emotion, so much as self-interest. Both reason (coming up with better rationalizations) and emotions (signaling your dominance or good character) play a role in this.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/4 "2011-04-23T02:13:30Z")

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A book I think worth reading is Robert Kurzban’s “Why Everyone (Else) is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind”.

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**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/5 "2011-04-23T05:37:16Z")

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Very good article. I recommend that everyone read it. Even if many of the findings are a part of common sense, it’s good to have the details.

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**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/6 "2011-04-23T06:06:48Z")

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…how could I _not_ be here?

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**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasoning-is-suffused-with-emotion/579353/7 "2011-04-23T13:25:10Z")

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Good article. Just confirms what I knew all along.