Sounds interesting. What's it about?

It's a report on the rationalizations and irrationality that plague everyday life, orginally written for a masters degree in philosophy. Read the summary below, and check out the full report below for downloading and printing.

The Irrationality of Everyday Life
Reasons, Rationalizations, and How to Tell the Difference

Summary

How rational are we? Nearly everyone agrees that rationality is an important ideal in everyday life. But rationalizations make it difficult for us to distinguish between truly rational behavior and irrational behavior that only appears rational. Although rationalizations are common and important in everyday life, they have attracted little direct attention in philosophy and psychology.

Fortunately, contemporary psychological research on irrationality can help us understand rationalizations and hidden irrationalities in everyday life. Using this research, I propose eleven principles to account for the difficulty of telling the difference between rationalizations and real reasons, or what I call the “rationality illusion.” Recognizing the illusion and its consequences are essential for achieving the ideal of rationality in everyday life.

Okay, I'm hooked. Can I read more?

Yep. The full report on rationalizations in everyday life is available below for your edification. It also serves as a nice introduction to the study of irrationality in contemporary psychology and philosophy.

"The Irrationality of Everyday Life:
Reasons, Rationalizations, and How to Tell the Difference"