Gregory Maguire

I write because I admire the act of rationalization, of seeking clarity in one's understanding of the complexities of life, and I'm bad at it. I'm slow. Writing, which is an arduous and slow process, proceeds at the same rate as my sloth-like mind.

American Novelist

Khloe Kardashian

I don't think because I hang out with enough black people, I'm gonna turn black. What kind of rationalization is that? I'm just friends with people that I like. I don't care what skin color you are.

American Entertainer

Alysia Reiner

I think, to me, I was always taught you never approach any character as a villain. Every human being on earth really believes that they're doing the best thing. We all have our rationalizations.

American Actress

John McCarthy

Proposals to forbid golf courses have about the same motivations as proposals to forbid skate boarding, although the rationalizations are different.

American Politician

James Wolk

Even when we see somebody incredibly evil, there's a rationalization behind what they're doing. They're at their best when they're at the moment.

American Actor

Max Weber

The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.

German Economist

Freda Adler

Stripped of ethical rationalizations and philosophical pretensions, a crime is anything that a group in power chooses to prohibit.

American Educator

Max Lerner

The so-called lessons of history are for the most part the rationalizations of the victors. History is written by the survivors.

American Journalist

John Bytheway

Curiosity, rationalization, and laziness are no match against courage, self-control, and mental toughness.

American Author

Eliezer Yudkowsky

To be clever in argument is not rationality but rationalization.

American Writer

Used to describe strategies that make companies work better.

Business Context

It can imply job losses when companies aim to cut costs.

Not Always Positive

Refers to comprehensive and large-scale changes in an organization.

Overarching Changes

It's often used to distance oneself from the emotional impact of their actions.

Emotional Distance

The reasons given might seem logical but are usually insufficient.

Inadequate Excuse

Can imply one is fooling themselves with their own logic.

Self-Deception

Used specifically in math to simplify expressions involving roots.

Algebraic Technique

Helps to make complex numbers clearer and more understandable in math.

Improves Readability

Has a unique meaning in math, not used in everyday contexts.

Math-Specific Term

 pressure, opportunity, and rationalization. Pressure is often what motivates someone to engage in fraud to begin with. It could be a personal debt, an addiction, an earnings quota, a sudden job loss, or an illness in the family.

How people rationalize...

 But actually, I think it's a bit of self-serving rationalization disguised as philosophy. It confuses the difficulty of being certain with the impossibility of truth.

How to see past your own...

 rationalization 19th century fancy-dress effectively 20th century boredom 20th century translations aim not to embody any of these these kind of great ideas

Rationalization