On Self-Awareness and Rationality

A crucial aspect of rational intelligence—one that is rarely discussed—is self-awareness. It is through self-awareness that we can analyze and evaluate our own thoughts and actions.

Scientifically speaking, this is known as metacognition.

It is not merely "thinking about thinking," because thought generally leads to behavior—whether directly, when thought and action align, or indirectly, when an underlying logic (such as contradiction or hypocrisy) persists despite an apparent inconsistency.

Self-awareness allows us to judge ourselves—our thoughts and our deeds. Consequently, we can review our conduct and decide whether or not to maintain it.

And what a difference that makes...

I have known people who appear—or appeared—to possess only the most rudimentary level of self-awareness. I say "have known" because some of them met tragic ends precisely because they were never truly capable of self-criticism—the kind that is effective, precise, measured, and constant.

Essentially, a person with underdeveloped self-awareness is far more likely to think and act based on emotional impulse. This leads them to commit errors, lapses, and frequent missteps that can come at a high cost later on. They are also far more prone to extreme stubbornness—and I do not use that term lightly.

They are the type who almost never truly examines themselves, and when they do attempt it, the process lacks depth or precision. They blindly forge paths that often bring more harm than good, persisting in their errors—frequently without even clearly distinguishing between what they are doing "right" and what they are doing "wrong." If psychiatry were a little less limited than it currently is, perhaps it would be possible to diagnose this specific type of irrationality disorder. 

Among disorders of irrationality, this one relates primarily to instrumental—or behavioral—rationality, while its connection to epistemic—or cognitive—rationality is secondary. Fundamentally, our political-ideological beliefs or our levels of specific and general knowledge are not critical factors for this type of disorder; I believe it is possible to have limited knowledge of the world one inhabits yet still detect errors in one’s own conduct and revise one’s actions or decisions. I also believe there is often a coherence gap between thought and action—a disconnect that can lead brilliant thinkers to act wrongly, while causing mediocre thinkers to make sensible life decisions.

I consider myself an example of this: for quite a few years, I pursued a misguided path based on decisions rooted in personal thoughts or beliefs. When I finally realized how wrong I had been, I managed to return to a healthier path—even as I simultaneously developed my epistemic rationality. Today, I view myself as a "patient" in remission—much like a recovering addict, though my "addiction" was not to narcotics. Instead, it involved unresolved internal issues that I dealt with by validating them—much like justifying a psychopathological condition (such as anxiety) or even adopting an identity around it, rather than simply treating it...