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Rationality.
Reason.

Whatever you call it, there's a problem: we've treated it as a luxury that can be taken for granted.

Whatever the historical, cultural, spiritual or psychological causes have been, our civilization has been an environment in which rationality, to some degree, is possible. So much so that we don't even think about it enough to recognize its waning.

So - please be aware - and nervous.

What is rationality? Here are its components, partly from dictionaries and partly my own summary:

Component #1: The will to search for and find our unconscious, habitual, comfortable assumptions and conclusions, to grab them by the neck, to place them outside of ourselves, and to examine them with some courageous objectivity.

Component #2: The courage to admit, and hang on to the admission, that everyone, at certain places in their mind, is very, very stupid. That includes me, and you.

Component #3: The will to suffer the emotional discomfort of questioning the philosophical foundations that seem essential to our sense of self.

Component #4: The will to state an important idea, in one's mind or (better) on paper, and to take a while to really examine it, to examine all the influences - good and bad - that brought the idea into existence, to break it up into its constituent parts, to compare it to other ideas - supporting and opposing, to analyze its impact or potential impact, to get help from other people or good sources of ideas, and to replace it with a better idea if necessary.

Component #5: The power to look truth straight in the eye, even if it makes you feel bad. The power to feel bad rather than cling to a thought that doesn't deserve your loyalty.

Think of that person you love to despise. (Don't play that little delusional game that you're not the kind of person who despises another person. BS!) Let me help you out:

-That mate, son, daughter, parent or other relative you have written off.
-That current or former president that you love to criticize.
-That teacher, student, boss or employee that made or makes you miserable.
-That guy in the bar, woman behind the counter, jerk in the car, whatever.

Now, do you see how insane or stupid or wicked or useless that person is - and yet DOESN'T KNOW IT?! That person seems to walk around all confident and self-satisfied and proud of his/her opinions. How blind! How despicable, right? How can someone be SO WRONG and not have a clue about it?

Exactly.
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