The reason we lose our ability to rationalize is because when we are reacting we are not thinking. Our instincts kick into gear and we do whatever we have programmed ourselves to do. We become emotionally charged and our emotions drive us rather than our ability to reason. It is like not having a plan and just reacting based off what you encounter/experience. Like traveling to an unfamiliar place with no map or GPS. There can be no intentionality when we are in reactive mode.
Being a lifelong learner means that you are constantly on the pursuit of knowledge. When you commit to being a lifelong learner, the mind can never become complacent. A complacent mind will hold onto previously held beliefs and opinions even when new information is presented. The complacent mind is unwilling to change because it does not want to seem inconsistent.
Rarely do we ever have an opportunity to relax, observe, and listen. Nature provides us with fulfillment and enrichment that we desperately need. It provides with the opportunity to take in and appreciate our surroundings.
We as humans understand that there will be a fateful day where our lives on Earth end. Yet so many of us do not take full advantage of the time we have. We spend time worrying about things that really do not matter at all. We view life as an obstacle instead of a wonderful journey full of beauty, surprise, and adventure.
Our character cannot be good if our actions our bad. Our character is not set in stone. In other words, we have the ability to both lose our character and build it up. Our character can only change if we do.
The easiest way to a dull, frustrating, and lethargic life is by spending your time doing things that don’t interest you. Your mind craves the feeling of interest, do not deprive your mind of this. Following you interests is how you engage yourself more. It will also help develop passion, and a desire to learn more.
If we simply take everything at face value or the way it appears, we are neglecting the most significant differentiating factor between us and animals. Which is the ability to think in a rational way. This is doing a disservice to all the progress we have made as humans. Our impulses can be strong, but our ability to think and reason is much stronger. Our ability to think and rationalize is our greatest superpower.
