On Irrationality

Or, my love for paradox in a world that seeks to eliminate everything that doesn't make rational sense and how these rational people, upon further inspection, are deeply irrational, and troubling.

It's a paradox. Infatuation, among other things, is.

One moment one can't live without another human being. The next, one could murder them as regularly as taking out the trash; sometimes, both feelings exist concurrently. The world of today does little but amplify this. We can constantly be in contact, and when it takes one too long to respond, the other's thoughts race. What are they doing? How could they betray me so? By doing what? Are they living a life they want to live? How dare they! Call these thoughts for what they are, insanity, obsession, madness, but most importantly, irrationality. 

We must all live separate lives, for when one gets too close to another, they find madness with each other. The madness of love is millennia old, and what's the antidote? Find someone you like and commit yourself to them for the rest of your life. Is that a better way to live, or does it only cure the ill of having to go through periods of infatuation from time to time, falling in and out of love with each new person?

On the other hand, the passion of infatuation is exciting; it's dynamic and full of life. The unpredictability and strong moods are attractive, like salt on the steak of one’s psychological existence. The people attracted to such notions are either entirely volatile, thrill seekers, or might have some wisdom for us. These are my people.

Life is messy, and the people who want to live pure and straightforward lives (similar to traditionally ascetic) are misleading themselves into denial of their humanity. To circumvent pure, long-lasting, and sometimes permanent madness bubbling forth from one convincing themselves they can live a struggle-free life somehow, we need to become comfortable with being close to what the uninitiated may call madness. I call it grounding and centering one's self. What follows is a short exercise.

The existence of rationality implies irrationality. It's dichotomous; humanity can't have one without the other. If irrationality was non-existent, we could not recognize the rational. Many people see rationality as good and irrationality as evil. These people are wrong, and this belief is culturally programmed. We derive many benefits from the irrational and rational lives. 

Rationality is good at many things; it builds phones, creates vehicles, and contributes to the health and well-being of society as a whole. But irrationality governs much beyond building and maintaining our lives, products, and services.

One must ask some questions from time to time; questions along the lines of: 

Why do I fall in love? 

When did I choose my interests? 

How did I acquire my tastes? 

Why do I like tomatoes but hate avocados? 

How did this universe come to be? 

And, why am I conscious? 

Asking such questions can help one realize that some things are beyond rational comprehension. We may reach a scientific conclusion that answers a few of these questions. For many, we may not; for others, we will learn that our ideas were wrong after coming to some rational conclusion.

To put things in familiar terms, meditate on these questions, and one sees that irrationality is good and rationality is good. If one is still unconvinced, one should try to apply a rational understanding and methodology to various mundane and regular experiences. Chances are, one will recognize how much insanity comes from holding so many lists and causal links in one's head. One's actions in such a state are similar to someone afflicted with OCD.

The overly-rational human being benefits from indulging their irrationality on occasion. Such a person should engage with the paranormal, practice magic, experience a religious trance, and witness their stupefaction by the large quantities of enjoyment they will derive from such practices. 

Have you not taken drugs and been enamored by their effects (alcohol is a drug)? Drugs are irrational; we know how they work in the brain, but why would one take them recreationally? Who would seek such a thrill? I know one may have their reasons, but what is the root? Is the origin of those reasons not coming from a profound perverse irrationality? If one thinks not, one must examine the justifications. Eventually, one will see the truth. 

The center of our being is irrationality. The center of our universe is complete irrationality. It must be so. Otherwise, we would become stupified by the complexity of the world around us. We must also practice irrationality. If we do not, we will lose our link to irrationality and ironically begin to act more irrational, believing that we are operating more rationally than ever. Remember, one begets the other, and visa-versa. Go too far down one path and find your footing on the other. Avoid the path one detests, and one will soon start walking down it, conscious or not. Deny humanity, and humanity will consume you. Consume society, and one will become its master. 

Mastery is the highest ideal. If we can't control it, it will control us. Addiction is one such thing. For the addicted, they know the drugs come first. For the recovering, they know the drugs must never come. Substance abuse starts as a solution and becomes the problem. The first step is to recognize one's powerlessness over drugs to gain power over them. Mastery is irrational; we must let go to gain control. 

If we climb, we practice exhaustively, to the point where our muscles seem to have a memory. We must let go when we climb the mountain we've been training to encounter. Let the rational ego die so the experienced brain (muscle memory) can take over and exercise its training to climb on its own accord. It's Flow, and it's irrational. If things don't go according to our will, we're too attached to forcing an outcome or infringing on someone else's will—both of which one should not be doing. To have mastered a craft is to let go. We don't control; we guide and suggest.

To live is to die. 

To let go is to master. 

To not be consumed by life, we must consume life. 

To climb the mountain, we must let go. 

To love, we must hate. 

All dichotomies are inextricably linked. To label one as evil is to be treacherous. We must live out both ends of the contradiction at the same time. Live irrationally while working rationally, or even hate the people we love or love those whom we hate. Only then can we become human beings striving toward our full potential.

In other words, as above, so below.