Why am I writing this? I don’t know. I can give reasons, but I can’t be sure they are accurate. Such ignorance is okay, or at least it should be. The temptation is always to explain, but that often does nothing useful. In fact, it can just get in the way of actual understanding. Let me explain…
Rationalization 101
John was hypnotised, and given the post-hypnotic instruction to get up and put on his coat whenever the doctor touched his nose. Once out of the trance, they talked. During the conversation, the doctor scratched his nose, and John immediately stood up and put on his coat.
The doctor asked him why. “Oh, I thought we were finished,” John said, and he took off the coat. A minute later, the doctor touched his nose again. John again immediately stood up and put on his coat. “It’s getting cold in here,” he explained.
This scenario is not unique to hypnosis. There’s a lot that goes into our decisions and actions, and we act as though we’re aware of it all. Just like poor John, we feel compelled to explain ourselves – and to believe our explanations. Rationalization is one of our...